Lupin's Lair
by Sorceress
Summary: Novel-length post-GoF fic, still under construction, featuring Remus, Sirius, Angelina, Moody, Snape, (to name a few) Aurors; broomsticks, portkeys; St. Mungo's, Diagon Alley, The Leaky Cauldron; explosions, Death Eaters, car chases, rabbit chases & chaos
1. Default Chapter Title

Hi! This is my very first fanfic, so pleeeze read and review! It would mean a lot to me if you would! It's only the first chapter of what I think will be a series, so I would love some constructive criticism. Trust me, this WILL have to do with Harry Potter books eventually, just be patient. Thank you! Oh and Cringe at the title, I can't think of anything better and don't have the time to - I wrote it all tonight and I want to go to bed.  
  
Lupin's Lair series part I - The Mystery Tramper  
  
Tramping boots thudded stoically on the loose metal road, with loose gravel scrunching underfoot and then rudely flicked out behind the footsteps in the hot summer sun.   
One red-and-green bootlace was slowly unraveling from the tight knot around the wearer's ankles, snapping around like a worm in the sun, contrasting against the burnt brown of the leather, the dull brown of the mud, smeared all over the boots and packed into the soles.   
The wearer swore, and unceremoniously dumping her pack on the side of the little road as if it was a load of hot potatoes, crouched down, muscles screaming, and fumbled with hot, sticky and uncooperative fingers with a very unwilling lace.  
  
After a very trying few minutes with the bootlace, the walker looked up and briefly considered staying exactly in that position for the next few hours.   
Years perhaps.   
The task of getting up and heaving the pack onto her back was unbearable to think of.   
But commonsense soon took over and she realized that if a car came tearing up the road she would look very silly indeed, crouching on the side of the road with her bum poked out like a very sad duck impersonation.   
Taking the easy way out, she flopped onto the road and, arms and legs flailing, rolled over and then pulled herself to her feet, looking, she thought ruefully, like a foal taking it's first ungainly steps. Now back on her feet, she was feeling tired, thirsty and the first pangs of worry. Unzipping her pack and pulling out of it a sipper bottle, she sucked on it thirstily and surveyed the landscape while pushing sweaty strands of hair from her face.   
  
The surroundings were the same as they had been for the past 5 hours - the winding country land, with hedges and empty pasture rolling over slight hills dotted with sheep far into the distance, and with ocean-blue sky beaming above strewn with stringy clouds.  
  
"Cliché rural Europe" she said miserably.   
  
With the first pangs of worry came the first pangs of fire funning through her lower legs after so much exercise and suddenly stopping, so the walker reluctantly put away her bottle and, with much effort, hoisted her pack onto her back. She turned and faced the little road ahead, the heat playing across the loose gravel surface and placed a booted foot back on the road.   
  
After another hour of solid walking, the pangs of worry had turned into a steady ache.   
She had seen nothing that had resembled civilization in the last half hour, no cars, no farmers, no houses, just sheep, but she was used to them. Their presence indicated that there was life around here somewhere, and that was comforting, but her water bottle was nearly empty and the ditch water wasn't appealing.   
Still, there was that consistent buzz in her head that told her that yes, this was the right way, her goal was right ahead - well... not right ahead, a little to the west a bit more, but with this winding little road that didn't really matter - but she was on the right track. So with the anxious ache in her gut matching the hungry ache in her stomach, she plodded on.  
  
You see, the trouble was that she knew that she was on the right road, but she had no idea of how much longer it was going to take her to reach her goal, or where her goal was, or even what it looked like.   
Just that little buzz inside her head that told her to keep walking dammit!  
  
After another half an hour the anxious ache had settled into a nice lead weight in the pit of her stomach, negating any feelings of hunger.  
Looking frantically around, trying to find any sign of what this bloody goal that was driving her was, she could only spot more hills, hedges and dammed sheep, she began wondering what she was doing. She was in the middle of the English countryside miles from any real road, without a tent, water or food, not knowing exactly what she was looking for, not knowing the culture or customs, or even the exchange rate. She was friendless, phoneless, sweaty, tired, hungry, footsore, and with only her pack, three pounds and a pile of coinage in her cargo shorts pockets to call her own. She was, she suddenly realized, on the other side of the planet from home, sunset was in a few hours, something hard in her pack was jabbing her in the back with each step, and she was completely and utterly lost.  
  
That was too much for the jet-lagged tramper, who at that last revelation, gave up. She collapsed in a sprawling heap on the ground and began to cry silent tears of exhaustion and self-pity, while cursing that little part of her head that kept yelling at her to keep walking on you stupid idiot why are you stopping?  
  
She was so taken up by all these things that she almost missed the movement at the top of the hill.  
Luckily, the setting sun was behind the animal so its silhouette was clearly visible on the washed-out oranges and pinks of the sunset. The lost tramper caught the movement out of the corner of her tear-filled eye, and quickly sat up straight and wiped her face on her arm. This did not make much difference as her arm was already wet from sweat, but she felt more composed as she tried to scramble to her feet, only to be brought up short by the sheer weight of her pack anchoring her to the ground. Angrily slipping out of her pack and standing up, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun and looked for the source of movement.  
  
There it was, sitting on the top of the hill. It looked like a large dog - longhaired, the girl thought.  
A very large dog, actually.   
Bigger than a Rottie, a bit too big for a sheepdog, about as big as a ... Doberman...? Oh hell.   
But who cares, a dog means a kennel and a kennel means a house and a house means there is life out here!   
  
She hoisted her pack onto her back and quickly started walking towards the top of the hill and the dog.  
The buzz in her head finally stopped yelling at her and had a smug sort of feel to it as she power-walked off. That is, if buzzes in your head can have personalities and emotions, the girl thought.   
She kept her eyes on the dog as if it was some sort of mirage that would suddenly disappear if she took her eyes off it. And as she approached it, it almost did. It turned tail and loped off down the road.  
  
"Hey! Oi! Doggie! Cm'ere! Ummmm... get in behind!!" She yelled frantically.  
  
But the dog took no notice whatsoever and kept running.  
  
The tramper was suddenly scared. Her only lifeline was speeding away on four padded little feet.   
She broke into a run, skidding on the loose gravel, and her pack bouncing and jolting, hindering her running. Breaths coming in gasps, sweat running into her eyes and leg muscles burning, she chased the dog over another hill before it stopped and sat in the middle of the road facing her with it's head cocked to one side.  
  
Plodding slowly up to the dog, the girl wheezed and tried to recover breath, while whispering  
"Good doggy, good boy c'mere boy, c'mon..." in an encouraging sort of way.  
  
The dog, she thought, looked confused.   
That is, she ruefully reminded herself again, if dogs could look confused.   
Maybe it had a sense of humor instead, she thought hysterically, that's why it ran away. A very sadistic sense of humor, at that. It ran just to see the comical sight of me scurrying after it.   
She also noticed that it was a big dog, had no collar and was jet black. Still, it was well cared for with a gleaming coat and a smooth, lean body. Maybe it was one of those dogs that watched the sheep at night and fought off wolves, she thought.  
Then she checked herself; there are no wolves in Britain nowadays. She gave a little laugh at the irony of that.  
  
The dog looked her over, up and down and seemed to be thinking very hard.   
That was it, the girl now was sure that she had sweated out too much essential salts and she was hallucinating -   
"Dogs just don't look people up and down, they smell people's crotches." she thought out loud.  
"And I smell enough for him to know me intimately by now just from standing upwind." She said, sniffing at her armpits and wrinkling up her nose at the smell.   
The dog grinned - no, dogs can't grin, the girl thought, frustrated with her own mind, and mentally telling the buzz to get stuffed, it was more annoying than ever, telling her just a bit more to the right...  
  
The dog seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, as it got up and started trotting down the road. The tramper stood still, too tired to go on any further bellowed hoarsely and desperately  
  
"Hey! Don't leave me! I can't jog anymore you stupid mutt!"  
  
And suddenly burst into tears again.   
  
The dog stopped, looked back over his shoulder, and ran back to the girl bawling in the middle of the road. He ran straight up to her, looked her in the eye, turned around and started walking solemnly down the road once again, tail held high.  
  
The girl, too tired to argue with her own mind and point out that this was totally stupid, took this as some sort of sign and, too exhausted to even cry anymore, trudged after the dog. (Much to the pleasure of the buzz in her mind, which was now doing the Can-can)  
  
  
So yes, there is obviously more to come, and I would really really appreciate some reviews pleeze! Really, even just a few words!  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Well, here is the next bit of the story that you all have been anxiously anticipating!!! (Sarcasm).   
If you haven't read chapter 1, I suggest you do - it's short, but clears up a few things.  
Sorry for the long time it has taken me to write this, but I have had a project on the work of Albert Einstein (quantum physics, what fun!) a report and seminar on Biological Control (just give them all condoms I say) and a totally pointless English thing, that are all due very soon.   
NOTE - Please ignore all grammar and punctuation errors, and all gaping plot holes. Read and review please!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The girl was now walking as if in a dream. If you could ache in dreams.  
  
  
She had been walking now for 7 hours - but it seemed like years ago that she climbed off the bus and set off down this little road. Only 7 hours, and she felt like she had walked to hell and had yet to come back.  
  
  
She lifted her sweat-soaked head and looked at the horizon. The sun was setting very fast, and soon it would be twilight. The humid, stillness of the day was being replaced with a clod breeze, that at first was a blessing, but was now more of a curse as it chilled the sweat on her body.  
  
  
The dog trotting in front of her seemed to be related to the Energizer Bunny by the was he was going. He was moving as fast as ever, tail wagging furiously as he ran energetically along the loose metal. He was her tour guide, in a warped sort of way, she thought. And she was following obediently, as all tourists do. Wonder if he'll point out the landmarks and sights, too. She hoped like hell that this tour guide knew where he was going. That one in LA was an idiot...  
  
  
Caught up in her memories, she stumbled, tripped and fell hard on the road, and hit the gravel still moving, and skidded roughly along the metal surface, shaving layers of skin and tissue off her knees and palms.  
  
  
Breathing hard, and shaking uncontrollably all over, she knelt on her bloody knees and tried to see straight. The dog, she saw, was walking back to her. Suddenly ashamed, the girl tried to jump to her feet, but exhaustion didn't allow for that. So instead she got up drunkenly and brushed the dust off her clothes with her bleeding palms. She was, for some reason, embarrassed, as the dog came closer. It seemed concerned.  
  
  
That is, she reminded herself tiredly, if dogs can be concerned.  
  
  
"I'm fine," she said to the dog as it sniffed her knees.  
  
  
"No really, I am, I've had heaps of grazes before, this is nothing, I'm OK..."  
  
Actually, blood was running down from her knees and dribbling into her socks, and her palms were burning white-hot. It didn't hurt now, but she knew it would later.  
  
  
The dog looked up and gave a small whine.  
  
The girl suddenly felt grateful, and decided to give in to the uncontrolled urge to talk to this dog like it was a person. After 7 hours without anyone to talk to, it felt good. Even if it was a one-sided conversation.  
  
  
"C'mon, let's keep going."  
  
  
  
It was only a few hills later that the buzz in the girl's head started to get excited. So far, it had been only pushy and belligerent, but now it was delighted.   
  
  
The girl looked around, trying to see what had made the buzz so happy.  
  
  
Nothing she could see was different from what she saw 2 hours ago. Just the usual English Rural ingredients - hills, grass, hedges and sheep. Nothing to get excited about, she thought. Put them all onto a blender and you'd get a sorta greeney-greyey-bluey mess.  
  
  
That was, until she got to the top of the next hill and saw what lay ahead.  
  
  
Nothing was different, but something was different. If that made any sense. What was not different was that the countryside ahead looked the same as the countryside behind, but what was different was that the girl instantly recognized the place.   
  
  
That baffled and elated her at the same time. The buzz was a triumphant roar now, and was starting to give her a headache.  
  
  
How could I recognize this place, she thought? I live thousands of kilometers from here, on the other side of the world for God's sakes! And there is nothing here to recognize... just pasture. But the girl had a feeling rushing through her, the one that you get when you have been away from home for too long, and finally arrive back...  
  
  
She couldn't understand it at all. But more important things were going on, she was lost, and the dog was increasing its distance ahead of her. She power walked to keep up, head turning to and fro to try and see what she might have recognized here, and saw nothing.  
  
  
Then something unexpected happened. The dog turned off the road and went to walk down into the ditch. But instead of walking down into the ditch, he walked straight along - into the air.   
  
  
The girl gawped.   
  
  
The dog kept trotting in mid air over the ditch, and then straight through the hedge, and disappeared.   
  
  
Picking her jaw up off the ground, the girl hurriedly collected her thoughts.  
  
  
Whatever happened, she needed to follow the dog. And if the dog could walk through air and through semi-solid hedges, damm right, she was going to follow.   
  
  
She walked hesitantly over to the spot where the dog had walked over the ditch, long grass scratching her legs. She stared at the spot for a few seconds. It didn't seem special. That was, before the dog suddenly stuck his head back through the fence and barked.  
  
  
The girl jumped at the sound and the strange sight of a dog's head in the middle of the hedge. The head then disappeared and that cemented the girl's mind. She would go through as well. That annoying damm buzz in her head was going off like a siren. Well, that must mean that she was getting close to whatever the buzz wanted her to do or go to.  
  
  
She tentatively lifted up a leg and extended it over the ditch. Ever so slowly, she lowered it, toes pointing downwards, trying to find exactly what the dog had stood on, for it must have stood on something, really, it couldn't have walked through the air.  
  
  
Then a drop of crimson blood snaked its way down her leg, and rolled off the end of her boot, and fell...  
  
fell...  
  
and landed kersplat on something in mid air.  
  
  
The girl peered at it, and lowered her foot down to the point in space where there the drop of blood splattered on something. Her foot touched something solid, and she slowly eased weight onto it.  
  
  
If she closed her eyes, she could swear that she was standing on wooden boards. But her eyes were open, and there was nothing visible there. She transferred all of her weight onto the one foot, and slowly lifted the other one off the nice, visible road. And then placed her foot carefully a pace further than the other one in mid air. Breathing slowly and deeply, arms outstretched for balance, she paused.   
  
  
I'm standing in mid air, she thought hysterically. Where is a camera when you need one?  
  
  
Right. Now just jump to the other side of the ditch. Oh boy is this freaky.  
  
  
She crouched, and tensed her muscles, and leapt clear to the other side of the ditch. She hit the ground with both feet, but she forgot to compensate for her heavy pack. It's momentum carried her forwards and she tumbled into the hedge....and straight through it, flattening the poor, unsuspecting dog sitting behind it with a yelp.  
  
  
She picked herself up gingerly off the ground.  
  
  
"Aw God I'm sorry..." she said to a highly offended and winded dog.  
  
  
She looked at her legs and arms. They were now covered with blood, dirt, sweat and tears. Hey, she thought, that's a song isn't it? Her grazes were roaring with fire now, and all that dirt and dog hair was going to cause infection soon...  
  
  
She looked up, expecting to see something, just anything special, but... only saw a paddock, like the millions she had passed in the last 7 hours. This one didn't even have any sheep.  
  
  
Misery swamped her. She wanted to cry, but she was too tired for that, and she was all out of tears. Dusk was well setting in, and she was totally lost in the endless English Countryside. It was hopeless, she thought. I am going to die here and no one will ever miss me. I want to go home - or anywhere, just away from here...  
  
  
She turned on her heel to go, but that stupid, infuriating, bossy, oh-so righteous fucking buzz in her head wouldn't let her. Point-bland refused to let her go back. She stood there, shaking with fury, having a silent bitch-screaming match with the buzz, telling it to get out of her mind and let her do what she wanted, who in return was telling her that she was here, this was her goal ...  
  
  
But she was interrupted by a polite 'ahem' behind her.  
  
  
**********************************  
  
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin, but again the pack on her back reduced the jump to just a slight spasm. She whirled around, to find man standing behind, with the alarmed look on his face matching hers.  
  
  
She stared at him, lost for words. He was about 30-something, with brown hair with a few gray streaks in it - maybe he was older then. His quizzical deep brown eyes met her startled blue ones, and the girl suddenly likened them to the eyes of her puppy, Commando. Deep and fathomless, they were shields to his mind, cautious and defensive. Some people could tell you a lot by just their eyes, the girl was an expert in this - this man could only tell the girl that he had seen great suffering, or had suffered, and was harboring a great secret. His mind and thoughts were unreachable.  
  
  
Suddenly finding her voice, the girl managed to say, in a very strangled voice  
  
"Wh...ere the hell did you come from?"  
  
  
The man lifted his eyebrows.  
  
"I think the question is more, where did YOU come from?" in a soft English accent.  
  
  
But the girl was not listening. Because from behind the man, in the middle of the paddock, a mist seemed to be swirling.... and there was something solid in the mist.... that was vaguely resembling.... a house? Corners and windows came into focus and the mist swept away, revealing a small rust-red cottage with green window frames and crisp white curtains in the windows.  
  
  
The girl was lost for words again, and gawped at the house, now with a newly appearing orchard and garden path that was running up to her feet like red carpet being rolled out.  
  
She jumped back as it approached her and stared as it progressed back to the hedge, which suddenly had a gaping hole in it, and across wooden boards that appeared across the ditch. The world had gone quiet. There was no sound. The girl was transfixed by the sudden appearance of a house and garden in the middle of an empty field. She just stared at it, not aware that her mouth was hanging open, and that the man was frantically trying to get her attention. Finally when he waved a hand in front of her face she snapped out of it.  
  
  
"Huh?" she said stupidly.  
  
  
"What are you looking at?" he asked, in an off-hand voice that did not quite manage hide the anxiety under it, glancing to where her eyes were leading.  
  
  
She gestured wildly towards the house.  
  
"The..the...house there!" she said in a daze.  
  
  
His reactions were mixed. He at first looked shocked, then fearful, then amazed, then thoughtful, and then pleased, but still puzzled and cautious. All in the space of a few seconds. The girl could see the cogs in his brain going onto overtime. She was suddenly aware that the dog was sitting at his feet, and she felt tired.  
  
  
"Hmmmm." said the man eventually, after a lengthy pause.  
  
"You'd better come in then."   
  
and ushered her up the path to the front door.   
  
  
As the girl took each step, there was a battle going on in her brain. One half seemed to be screaming to her 'Run, run! Get out of here and go far away! Now!' and the other half, the buzz, was urging her to 'Hurry up and get inside girl. I have just about exhausted all my patience with you.' All this yelling and pushing was giving her a serious migraine-sized headache.  
  
  
Just before they reached the front door she stumbled on the first step and the man grabbed her arm to keep her from falling. She turned to say thank you, but he was looking at her with a strange look on his face.  
  
  
"What? How could.... but.... no...." he muttered, looking hard into her eyes, which she was struggling to keep open.   
  
  
He took a step back and pulled something out of his pocket, and to the girls alarm, produced a stick of wood which he pointed at her head and muttered "Fine Incantum"  
  
  
She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the voice in her head that was screaming for her to run away had gone. Just like turning a television off, there was content silence in her mind. The buzz was still there though, and urged her to walk through the door. So with three more jerky steps, she did. She walked through the open door and stood on the wooden floor. The buzz said in a very patronizing tone, 'thought you would never get here.' And disappeared as well.  
  
  
The man was looking at her strangely.   
  
  
And then she collapsed on the floor.  
  
  
  
  
When she woke up, she thought she was at home snuggled up in her bed. Just another five minutes, she thought sleepily. Just 'nother......  
  
  
She jumped like she had been given an electric shock. She wasn't at home. She was...actually, she didn't know where she was. That was even worse.  
  
She tried to roll over, but her muscles felt like shards of glass had been mixed in with them overnight. Ignoring this as best as she could, she thrashed her way out of the bedclothes and threw herself out of the bed.   
  
She was in a cheerful, square room, which was painted yellow and blue, with stars all over. It contained a single bed, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a brightly patterned, but sun-bleached rag rug on the wooden floor. This was obviously a boys room, she thought. A girl wouldn't have dinosaurs posters on her wall. Actually, the room looked quite bare for some strange reason. There were marks on the wall where posters should be, and a gap where a bookshelf went - she could see that the paint was not faded in parts. On the ground beside the rumpled bed was her pack and her boots - now spotlessly clean.  
  
  
She heaved herself up onto protesting legs and took unsteady steps towards the door.  
  
Please let it be unlocked, she thought with a sinking stomach. How could I have been so stupid? Just strolling onto this house like that, I didn't even ask the guy's name! Did he sandbag me? Or...  
  
She put a hand on the door, and tried the handle.  
  
The door swung open.  
  
  
She gave a huge sigh of relief, and stepped hesitantly out into the passage.  
  
  
"Hello? Cooeeee...is there anyone here? Hello?"  
  
  
She heard signs of movement in one of the rooms and opened the door and peered around the corner.   
  
She found herself looking into a sunny, airy kitchen with windows wide open and a cool refreshing breeze playing throught the room. By the brightness of the sunlight, it must have been about 11 AM. A round dining table in the middle of the room, flanked by five chairs. On one of those chairs sat the dog that she had followed here. It saw her, grabbed something off the table in its mouth, jumped down from its chair, and trotted up to the girl importantly. She crouched down and took the piece of paper in one hand, and patted the dog with the other absently.  
  
  
*Hello there whoever you are,  
  
I hope that you are feeling better, you collapsed soon after getting here.  
  
I am sorry that I am not here, there has been an emergency at work and I have had to leave urgently - I do not expect to get back before 5 PM. Please stay until I return though - there are many things I wish to ask you.  
  
Help yourself to anything in the pantry, and any medicines you might need are on the top shelf. Your grazes look nasty, better clean them soon before they get infected.   
  
The shower and bath are both broken, but if you want to wash, down the road is a swimming hole - my dog will lead you there if you wish.  
  
Please do not go into the room at the end of the hallway, but otherwise make yourself at home. *  
  
  
  
It was unsigned.  
  
  
  
The girl didn't know whether to feel pleased or alarmed at this strange note. It was written like she was the guy's daughter that had slept in on a Saturday morning. Make yourself at home? And stay till he got back? Don't go into the room at the end of the passage? That was like that folk tale about Blackbeard or summthin. Creepy.  
  
But she knew she could not walk out of here - she didn't have the strength. Instead, she could have the run of the house for a whole day, rest and recuperate. And get a feed too, she thought, her stomach grumbling. Besides, the guy seemed nice - and it was only polite to wait until he got home before clearing off. Besides, out here in the middle of nowhere, he probably didn't get many foreign backpackers. Still, that note was weird... who would leave a perfect stranger in their house...?  
  
  
She would stay. Getting up stiffly, she gave the dog a last pat and went to find the fridge.   
  
  
Walking down the dusty road later on, she thought reflectively about her actions. Staying for the day had been a great decision on her behalf. After rummaging through the kitchen, she had discovered muslei, fruit and milk, and wolfed it all down. She then had explored the house, which was defiantly odd.   
  
It was a cute little house, with three bedrooms, a bathroom, toilet, kitchen/dining room, and a laundry. The room at the end of the hall, she supposed, was the lounge. Or sitting room or drawing room or whatever they call them over here. The door to the bathroom was locked, which was suspicious. She hadn't tried the door at the end of the hallway out of respect for the guy who lived there. He asked her not to, so she didn't. But her fingers itched to try. There seemed to be a lot of things missing - like paintings, furniture, chest-of drawers, or any electrical appliances (apart from a very strange fridge).   
  
Of the two bedrooms, hers was obviously a kid's room, and the one across the hall was furnished with a double bed and bold colour schemes. It too, seemed empty. The master bedroom was just as weird. It had a 4-poster bed, but apart from that, was empty. Not even a wardrobe. She was relieved to find that the toilet was normal.  
  
  
She had gone to make her bed after her late breakfast, and to her annoyance found that her knees, elbows and palms had bled overnight, and with her sweat, had dirtied the sheets considerably. Stripping the bed, she dumped the sheets into the ancient wringer washing machine and went hunting for a linen cupboard. As there was only one cupboard in the hallway, she tried that one. It was bare and dusty. Annoyed, she searched the rest of the house, but found nothing. She returned to the sunny kitchen, where the dog was asleep, basking in the sun in a window seat. She rubbed his ears as he dozily woke up, and he gave a little whine and a yawn.  
  
  
"Good morning sunshine" she said. "I don't suppose you know where any linen is around this whacked house?"  
  
  
To her suprise, he stood up, stretched, and jumped down and walked into the hallway. Mystified, she followed him. The dog walked up to the cupboard that she had already opened, and scratched at the door.  
  
  
"Oh puppy, I've already tried that one, there's nothing in th....."  
  
  
Her words died as she opened the door. Inside was a pair of sheets and a pillowcase sitting on the middle shelf. She looked suspiciously at the dog.  
  
  
"I'm sure that there was nothing... oh well, musn't a looked hard enough."  
  
  
  
By now, she was sure that if she thought the house was a little strange, the dog was distinctly weird. It understood what she said. Her own dog, Commando, was smart - working dogs had to be - but she could swear that this one could read the newspaper. Well, anyway, that was what it looked like when she walked into the kitchen that first time, like it was reading the newspaper on the dining table. But the funnier thing was that when she went to read the paper herself, she couldn't find it.  
  
After making her bed, she quickly inspected her pack - it was untouched. 'He' hadn't searched it. Hmm.  
  
She thought it would be polite to do the dishes, which were stacked up in the sink and all over the benches. Filling up the sink with hot soapy water, she came to the conclusion that this was a bachelor pad. There was a minimal amount of cutlery, plates and cooking utensils. There were no pots, but there was a blackened frying pan.   
Whoever lived here, she thought, had visitors recently. There were extra empty cups with tea leaves around the bottom, and coffee stains in some too. Ho hum.  
  
With the soapy dishes draining on the bench, she had grabbed her togs, towel and first aid kit and went hunting for the dog. She found him on the back lawn, pouncing puppy-like on the butterflies that were fluttering around the daisies growing amok in the long, uncut grass. She stood on the back step and watched him for a few moments, suddenly feeling pensive. The dog had suddenly noticed her standing there, and gallumphed up to her.   
  
"Well boy, d'ya want to show me where this swimming hole is? Huh? Huh? Wanna go for a walk? Huh?"  
  
The dog had bounded around her with slobbery enthusiasm, and then set off around the side of the house. She followed him, feeling that a machete knife would be a good accessory in this knee-high grass. The dog then ran out onto the road, and trotted along it further in the direction that the girl had been walking the previous day. Ducking under a gnarled, leafy tree near the road, she paused to pluck a fat peach from the over-laden tree.   
  
The girl smiled as she remembered her surprise when she bit into the peach. Sweet and juicy, it was the best one she had ever tasted, and devoured the whole thing as she walked, sticky nectar running down her hands and arms. She almost didn't notice when the dog had turned off the road and onto a field, only when it barked did she realise they were there. The swimming hole.  
  
It was quite a lovley setting, she thought. A creek, a drooping willow with a rough wooden swing tied off one limb, and birds and crickets noisy in the hot atmosphere.  
The swimming hole was not much of a hole, she had thought at first, just an area in the creek where it became a little wider, and a little deeper. That was before she waded in. It was very deep, she discovered, with a shock. So deep that with the first step she was totally over her head. It was a swimming pit - diving, she could see no bottom, even though the water was clear and crisp. Doing breast-stroke from one side of the swimming hole to the other (which was only about 10 metres) she could feel the dried sweat wash off her body and bathe her grazes. She flipped onto her back and kicked her legs lazily, mulling over the strange events of the day before and the weird going-ons today. The tranquility of the moment was shattered by the dog bombing her. She resurfaced, spluttering and laughing as the dog swam around her in circles, panting and grinning wickedly.  
  
"Grrrr.... I'll get you for that" she declared with a mouth full of water.  
  
And responded by dunking him, which led to very wet chaos.  
  
Yes, it had been a good idea to stay, she thought, walking back to the house, her singlet over her wet togs and very wet towel draped over her shoulders. That dog was as much fun as Commando - she hadn't played rough-and-tumble since she left home, and that was nearly 2, no 3 months ago. Her grazes were free of infection thanks to her first aid kit, and she felt suprisingly happy for someone that yesterday felt so depressed and hopeless. Her muscles were limbering up with each step and her heart soared to the sky. She hummed under her breath as she followed the sodden dog back along the road. Then started singing very softly. The dog turned and looked at her like she had just grown an extra head.  
  
"Oi, It's not that bad!" she said indignantly.  
  
And just to prove it, started singing out loud.  
  
"Sunshiiiiiiiine.....on my windowwwws,  
Makes me happyyyyyy....like I should beeee..."  
  
And then she lifted her head to the heavens and belted out the rest of the lyrics  
  
"Out siiiiide....all around meeeee.........."  
  
The dog sighed at this extravagant behaviour, and rolled his eyes when she started dancing. But a few songs later, she noticed that the dog was dancing along with her, and grinned slyly.  
  
  
It was in the chorus of 99 Red Balloons that the dog started growling. The girl looked up, song dying in her throat, to see five figures walking towards her down the road. She could not quite make out features at that distance, but the dog's growling turned into snarling quickly, and tried to make its hair stand on end, but as it was long and completely wet, it didn't do a very good job. The girls hair, however was standing on end as the strangers approached. She put a restraining hand on the dogs wet back.   
  
The people walking towards her were quite....butch? Solidly-built, that's the expression. Dressed in dark robes, she thought for a few seconds that they were cultists. Her apprehension grew.  
  
As they came closer, she noticed that they did not look like friendly people - the leader had sliky-blonde hair and a twisted smile on his face. His companions were big, ugly and stupid-looking. The dog tensed all his muscles, and prepared to attack, but the girl wound her fingers into his shaggy coat and held it taught.  
  
The blonde man hailed her with an upraised hand.  
  
"Hello my dear! Are you from the village?" he said in an overly-friendly voice that did not match his eyes.  
  
Lie, her mind said. Lie and be damm good about it too.  
  
"Yip. Just taking my dog for a walk. What are you doing all the way out here?" she said, imitating her last bus driver's accent, and hauling back on the dog's coat. She was aware out of the corner of her eye that the other men were slowly spreading out and circling her, flexing their muscles. She also suddenly realised that her blue bikini was highly visible under her wet singlet. Cold shivers ran up her arms.  
  
"Aaah... we are searching for a friend's house. It's a russet-red colour, have you seen it?"  
  
Friend my ass, she thought. The dog was still snarling, and she was lifting its front paws off the ground in an effort to keep it from attacking.  
  
"No, can't say I have. You sure you got the right road? I'd say to try further into the village."   
  
The blonde man glanced at his brawny companions and nodded.  
  
Much to the girls relief, they started to move out, but one stayed behind, staring at the growling and snarling dog.  
  
"Whatzup with your dog?" he said thickly.  
  
"It doesn't like men for some reason" she said smoothly. "I'd suggest you get moving, I'm loosing my grip on his fur."  
  
Allarmed, the group of men hurried off, glancing over their shoulders.  
  
The girl and dog turned and watched them.  
  
"Good luck finding your friend's house!" she hollered after them, with a look of absolute sincerity on her face.  
  
Keep cool, she thought.  
  
She turned around, and, dragging the dog with her, started walking along the road again.  
Make it look good, she mind said. So she started singing again, this time the Beatles's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - all good Brits should know that one, she thought.   
And was careful not to look back over her shoulder until she was sure they were gone around the next bend in the road.   
  
Letting out a huge sigh of relief, she let the now subdued dog go. Stupid, she thought. Stupid. Going out without any form of protection. Just because you are in the countryside doesn't mean you are safe! Mentally scolding herself, she didn't notice the owl swooping overhead.  
  
Around the next bend in the road was the house - how could have those men missed it? It was incredibly obvious, a red house in the middle of millions of fields. She walked up the path, lined with fruit trees and shrubs, and to the front door. She kicked off her boots and went inside. She had a lot to think about.  
  
  
She was in the middle of making dinner when the owner of the house turned up. Stirring the contents of the frying pan, she didn't even notice he had arrived until she heard the dog barking with excitement. She walked out the door, spatula in hand, to see the man crouching on the steps, ruffling up the dogs hair.  
  
"Hello" she said awkwardly.  
  
He looked up at her and grinned.  
  
"Ah, you're still here! Feeling better?"  
  
"Uhhhh, yeah thanks."  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about all this..."  
  
'What's to be sorry for?" she said with a bit of a laugh. "I am a total stranger, I turn up out of the blue in the middle of nowhere, and you take care of me when I black out after saying about five words, give me a bed for the night, and free roam of your house for the whole day. Sorry? What on earth for?"  
  
He smiled embarasedly and shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"What else would I have done?"  
  
"Tossed me out back onto the road? Poured a bucket of cold water over my head and send me on my way? Called the Police? Rob me? Wake me up before you left and told me to get moving? Sell me to slave traders in the Middle East? I dunno." She said melodramatically.   
  
He looked a little shocked.  
  
"I wouldn't have done that!"  
  
She laughed.  
  
"I know that. But I just wanted to thank you for let......"  
  
"Aaah, it was my pleasure." He said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I have never had a backpacker from Australia out here, in fact, it's a bit lonley, with just me and my dog."  
  
Australia, eh? Well, if that's what he thinks, so be it...  
  
"You can tell? How?" she asked in mock amazement  
  
He laughed heartily, and threw his head back. He really was quite good looking, she thought. Pity he's not 20 years younger.  
  
"Yeew kann teyll? Heeow?" he said, over-mimicking her voice, before dropping back to a soft English accent.  
  
"It's quite obvious, but don't worry, I won't hold that against you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was an uncomfortable lull in conversation.  
  
"I didn't catch your name last night" the man said eventually.  
  
"I didn't catch yours either" she said quickly. "I'm Calypso."  
  
  
  
Now here was another strange thing. People usually laughed, sniggered, looked puzzled, did a double take and asked her to repeat herself, or inquired into whether her parents were hippies when she introduced herself. This guy didn't even flinch. His answer explained why.  
  
"I'm Remus"  
  
She raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Interesting name. Do you happen to have a brother named Romulus?" she said tartly  
  
He blinked, and then the dog started sneezing.  
  
"I think your dog is attempting to laugh" she said  
  
"Do I smell something?" the man asked, ignoring the dog and walking up the stairs, careful to tread lightly on the dogs tail. The dog yelped and stopped sniggering.  
  
"Ummm yeah, I made Chili Con Carne, I hope you don't mind, you didn't state any time you were getting back and I was...." She said hurridly as Remus walked throught the front door.  
  
"That's great actually - I'm not much of a cook, and bacon and eggs gets boring after a while."  
  
She smiled, relieved.   
  
Over dinner, Calypso had a good look at her host, who had insisted on her staying for dinner. He was about 35, slim and tanned, with a mop of brown hair, streaked prematurely with gray. But that was not what fascinated Calypso, it was his eyes.  
Light brown, they were pained and sorrow-filled, but intelligent and soft. Eyes were windows to the soul.  
  
He, she noticed, was also having a good look at her.  
Well, let the fun and games begin, she thought.  
  
Swallowing her Chili Con Carne, she asked Remus,  
  
"So, what do you do for a living?"  
  
He looked startled, but only for a few seconds.  
  
"I'm a professor at the local University" he said, taking another fork full of Chili Con Carne.  
  
"Really? What do you teach?" She asked with enthusiasm  
  
"Erm... Mathematics"  
  
"Hey wow, that's what I'm doing at Uni now! What classes do you teach?"  
  
He looked distinctly blank.  
  
"Ummmm....all of them?" he said helplessly  
  
Calypso struggled not to laugh or smile.  
This man is the worst on-the-spot liar I have ever met, she thought.  
  
"Oh wow, you must be really smart then. Can you possibly help me with some problems I am having trouble with? I can't seem to apply the Binomial Theorem to application questions that involve differentiation or integration and have values that...."  
  
"Maybe later" he said quickly. "Right now I have some questions to ask you"  
  
Calypso leant back on her chair. This was going to prove interesting, she thought.  
The dog looked up from his plate of Chili Con Carne at the table.   
  
"Why on earth are you here?"  
  
"I got lost."  
  
He raised his eyebrows.  
  
She elaborated.  
  
"I'm backpacking all around Europe, and I think I turned the map upside down or something. I dunno, I was supposed to end up in a small town that has a backpackers hostel."   
  
The dog snorted into his plate, and blew chunks of meat all over the table. Remus gave him a withering stare. Calypso thought this was probably why normal people didn't have their dogs eat at the table with them.  
  
"Sooooo.... What do you do back in Australia?" he said carefully  
  
"I'm a student at Melbourne University, I'm doing a course in Applied Biology. Oh yeah, and I work at a supermarket during term, and on a sheep station during the holidays."  
  
Remus looked disappointed, but was careful to hide it.  
  
"Fascinating. So what's your last name?" he asked  
  
"Grey" she said "And yours?"  
  
"Lupin"  
  
Calypso snorted.  
  
"No, your real name please. I'm not stupid. And that is a real bad pun by the way. Remus Lupin my ass."  
  
He looked very insulted.  
  
"That is my real name." He said lightly.  
  
"Oh" Calypso said, embarrassed, and flushing red.  
"It's just that..."  
  
"Enough about me, I thought we were talking about you. Are you named after Calypso, the nymph in Homer's Odyssey?" he said, saving the situation.  
  
"No, actually after Callippus, a Greek Astronomer who died around the year 300 BC, and after the style of music" she corrected him gratefully.  
  
He looked interested - apparently, even though he obviously did not teach Mathematics, he was an expert on Greek Astronomy. Conversation flowed after that, and dinner finished very quickly.  
  
Things became interesting when she asked him what the name of the village was.  
  
"Peachgrove Village" he said carefully but looking at her in a new light "How did you know that there was a village at the end of the road?"  
  
So she told him what she had done that day, omitting a few minor details. But when she got to the men she met on the road, he jumped like had been given an electric shock.  
  
"What!!" His jaw dropped.   
  
Recovering slightly, he said politely,  
  
"Do go on...."  
  
When she had finished, he was looking at her with a strange look in his eye.  
  
"Would you mind describing them please?"  
  
So she did, the blond, commanding one, the ape-like one with long arms, the short one with a monobrow, and the one with cauliflower ears and an undercut, the slothful one with a crewcut, the one with black hair and over-developed arm muscles......Remus stopped her in mid sentence.  
  
"That's enough, I know who they are now."   
  
He looked thoughtful, and worried.  
  
"Why did you lie, and not tell them where the house was?" he asked   
  
"They said that they were your friends. Friends my ass. Your dog would have ripped their throats out if I didn't have a good hold on his fur." She said passionately.   
  
"He should have." Remus in a voice suddenly seething with rage.  
  
It was quiet for a few moments.  
  
"You know when you arrived here," he said suddenly, voice normal again.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"I think you were suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. You were acting all weird, like you couldn't see the house...but then you could...." He tailed off.  
  
"Yeah" she said. "That must have been it"  
  
"Were you taking drugs then?" he asked suddenly, looking straight at her.  
  
"Whaaaa!!!" she exclaimed, standing up violently, knocking the chair over with a resounding crash.  
  
"Your eyes were all....weird....and I thought......that...." he suddenly looked ashamed.  
  
She stared at him for a few seconds, and he looked hopelessly around.  
  
"But you see, there is no other answer...."  
  
Then Calypso did a strange thing. She tilted her head back and laughed.   
  
She grabbed her chair from the ground, and sat back on it.  
  
"OK, enough of this. I know that you aren't telling me the truth, and you know that I'm not telling you the truth, so let's get this over and one with," a broad grin on her face.  
  
Remus gave her a cautious, quizzical look.  
  
"I don't quite know what you mean..." he said unconvincingly, but then stopped.  
  
Calypso had gestured with an outstretched hand to the empty plates in front of them. She twisted her wrist sharply, and the plates slowly rose up off the table to hang in mid-air. She stretched out her arm and batted the air, and.....the plates sailed the length of the kitchen to the sink, and with another twist of her wrist, dropped into the soapy water with a thud.  
  
Calypso looked back to Remus, who was staring blankly at the sink. To her amusement, so was the dog.  
  
"You thought I was a muggle, or a squib didn't you? Ha. You're a Mathematics teacher? Yeah, right, and I'm Mickey Mouse. It's totally obvious that you are a wizard. You should get yourself a better story. That one had so many holes, it was like a rabbit warren."  
  
  
Yeah, well, I know this rambles - and wow is this one long! Whoops. I kinda got carried away!! OK, so it's totally obvious that the guy was Lupin. Duh. And there are no prizes for guessing who the dog is. Sorry, that was all SOO obvious. But if I feel inspired to write some more, there will be a lot more twists.   
  
Oh, do I really have to do a disclaimer? Oh fine then.   
Remus and all JK Rowling's stuff belongs to JK Rowling.  
The lyrics from the song 'Calypso' belong to Spiderbait. (Hehehe did anyone spot that?) Review pleeease!! And I like flames, so feel free to incinerate me.  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

Well, all brace yourselves for the next part of my badly-titled series.  
Please fasten all seatbelts, and note the nearest emergence exit in case the pilot happens to fall into an unusually large plot hole or has a sudden writer's block attack. Note all vomit bags - we may hit turbulence when the pilot looses her bearings and plotline and becomes totally lost and disorientated.   
Well, don't say I didn't warn you.  
  
  
Remus was shocked and speechless. He had many improbable theories about why and how Calypso had ended up at his house, but none of them included her being a witch.  
  
Calypso tilted her head to the side and gave Remus a quizzical look over the table.  
  
"Never even considered it, eh?"  
  
Remus found his voice and his wits.  
  
"You can't be" he said finally.  
  
Calypso raised her eyebrows.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"You...you were totally affected by the befuddlement charm and the repellant charm on the road" he said triumphantly. "Any first-year would have recognized that they were under some sort of enchantment, and simply broken the spell with Fine Incantium."  
  
"Any trained witch or wizard, you mean."  
  
Remus gave her a blank look.  
  
Calypso sighed.  
  
"I 'spose I owe you an explanation. I am a witch, but I've never been trained. I don't really know a single spell. That's why I didn't know that there were spells on the road."  
  
"H...how? You simply can't be a witch and not be trained!" said Remus disbelievingly.  
  
"Well, I am."  
  
Remus opened his mouth to protest again, but Calypso beat him to it.  
  
"Shut up and let me speak. Look, there are certain reasons, private reasons, why I didn't go to Wizarding School. But just skip over that for a sec, and just accept the fact that I am a witch and I am here."  
  
Remus wondered for a second what she had done to never be accepted to Wizarding School. He had a sudden flashback of the days when he himself was resigned to the fact that, because he was a werewolf, he would never be accepted, and felt a wave of compassion for the girl sitting across the table from him.  
  
Calypso leaned back on her chair and sighed.  
  
"Oh God, how do I start? Ummmm.......'spose you want to know why I am here. Truth is, I don't really know."  
  
"Start from the beginning" said Remus helpfully  
  
Calypso glared at him.  
  
"I thought I told you to shut up. This isn't easy"  
  
"Well, sorr-eeeeeee!" retorted Remus   
  
The dog barked suddenly, breaking into the angry stillness that had settled over the table.  
Calypso felt like a little girl that had just been scolded for bickering with her little brother.  
  
"I'm sorry for being rude" Calypso said eventually. "It's just that ..." She chewed her lip, eyes downcast.  
  
"Just go on. Why are you here?" said Remus warily.  
  
Calypso looked up straight into his eyes.  
  
"I 'spose it all really started just after Graduation. From Otago University, that is." she added, seeing the questioning look in Remus's eyes. "Bachelor of Science. Well, anyway, about a day after Graduation, I started getting this... sorta buzz in my head. At first I thought it was just a result of my hangover, but it didn't go away. It...I know this sounds crazy, but it wanted me to go overseas. It was like having a little voice in my head telling me where to go. Well, then I thought it was just my subconcious, you know, the kind of travel bug thing 18-year old Uni Graduates get - wanting to see the world. A big OE -all Aussies and Kiwis do it. But it was weird - I would just be daydreaming, and I would find myself walking into the travel agents. Or leafing through a book, and find myself staring at the bits about England. It was the buzz, it was controlling what I was doing when I was not concentrating hard."  
  
Calypso looked hard at Remus.  
  
"You think I'm mad, don't you?" she said despairingly.  
  
"I thought you wanted me to shut up?" He replied smartly.  
  
She glared at him, but in a lighter heart continued with her tale.  
  
"So I didn't take up any job offers. I brought a plane ticket for America, and flew off about...oh... two months ago. I went to America because the Buzz told me to go Northwards and Eastwards. And America was that direction. I basically worked my way thought America to the East Coast, just following the Buzz. And when I got to the East Coast, the Buzz was still telling me to go North-East. So I jumped the next flight to England."  
  
She paused for a moment.   
  
"And?" Remus gently encouraged her.  
  
"I landed in Heathrow....and the Buzz was all positive, so I knew I was in the right country at least....and I just let the Buzz guide me from there. And I ended up here." She said, loosing more composure with every sentence.   
  
"How did you end up here though? That's what I am interested in." Remus said, leaning forward.  
  
Calypso looked at the ceiling, and threw her arms up hoplessly.  
  
"I don't know. I just followed what the Buzz in my mind told me. It would say things like 'get on the train' and 'get off the train' and stuff like that. Well, it didn't really say stuff. I just got the feelings....and yesterday morning it told me to get off the bus in the middle of nowhere and start walking down this road-y thing. So I did. And then I met you dog, and he led me here." She said miserably.  
  
There was silence for a few seconds.  
  
"D'ya believe me?" she said, with a beseeching look in her eyes.  
  
There was a few seconds silence.  
  
"I've heard stranger stories" Remus said slowly.  
  
Slowly, Calypso's face broke into a huge grin.  
  
"Oh......I was so worried that you wouldn't believe me!..."  
  
But she was interrupted by the fridge, which had started to talk.  
  
  
  
"Sooo can we act all normal again Sir? Please? I haven't not talked for a whole day since, blimey, since..."  
  
"Shut your trap you stupid piece of whiteware! Gaah, what an idiot. You put enchanted household goods to shame. Ignoramus. Just because Sir believes her cock-and-bull story doesn't mean that his instructions don't apply! Why on earth he ever enchanted YOU is beyond me, I....." said the Pantry shrilly.  
  
Calypso stared at them with utter disbelief, her jaw hanging open.  
  
"Fridge, Pantry, please be quiet." Remus said evenly to the cowering fridge and the angry pantry.  
  
They did so, the pantry still grumbling quietly.  
  
Calypso swiveled back on her seat to face Remus.  
  
"I knew it" she said excitedly. "I knew there was something weird about this whole house! It's all enchanted! And your dog too!"  
  
Remus looked quickly at his dog, and nodded his head.  
  
"So what, did you remove all the obviously magical stuff last night and put it all in the room at the end of the hall?"  
  
"You're more intelligent than you look" Remus said, with a shrewd smile.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment" Calypso retorted dryly.  
"Talking about intelligence, what kind of spell did you use on your dog? I've never heard of anything like it before!"  
  
"Invented it myself - it's really complex" he replied smoothly  
  
"I'd bet" Calypso agreed, with unrestrained admiration in her voice.  
  
"We need more miiiiilkkkk!!!!" the fridge sung out.  
  
"Learn when to shut up!" snapped the Pantry irritably to the fridge.  
  
The dog sniggered.  
  
"Sooo, now that we are telling the truth, what do you really do for a living?" asked Calypso  
  
"I work for the Ministry - against Lord Vol...I mean, HeWhoMustNotBeNamed" he said evasivly  
  
"Who? You mean old MouldyWarts?"  
  
Remus looked shocked.  
  
"You...know who he is? And you're not scared of his name?"  
  
Calypso sighed.   
  
"I have a bit more to explain. I'm a sage - a seer, a wisewoman, a fortuneteller, a futureteller. You know, the whole sch-bang. That's where I know your house from - I've seen it before in a dream."  
  
Remus looked at her with a patronizing expression.  
  
"No, I am! Really!" cried Calypso, exasperated.   
"Stuff I see comes true! Or has come true! Or is happening! I'm no charlatan - and I do not write horoscopes for the daily newspapers or any bullcrap like that, if that's what you're thinking!"  
  
There was a deathly quiet.  
  
"Liar" sneered the pantry into the silence.  
  
Calypso's face fell.  
"Knew you wouldn't believe me" she mumbled, looking at the tabletop.  
  
"Didn't I just say that I believed you? Don't listen to Pantry, it has constant PMS." Remus said evenly.  
  
"That's it! No more food for you, you little bastard! See how much I care if you all starve! Ohhh, you'll all be begging for my forgiveness tomorrow at lunchtime, I bet! And you know what? I'll just laugh! Coz according to Sir himself here, I have PMS! So stuff you all, you ungrateful bastards!" the pantry screamed, doors crashing open and shut, before slamming shut and locking themselves with over-exaggerated clicks.  
  
Calypso looked flabbergasted at the now obviously sulking pantry.  
  
"It does like making a scene." said Remus, sighing.  
  
"What a rude pantry! Why do you keep it?" asked Calypso, shocked  
  
Remus shrugged.   
  
"My mother liked it - I could never get rid of Pantry." He replied.  
  
Calypso did not looked convinced.  
  
"Anyway," continued Remus, 'We were talking before we were rudely interrupted. So why are you here?"  
  
"'Told you, I dunno."  
  
"So what are you going to do?"  
  
"Ummm......"  
  
"You can stay another night at least."   
  
Calypso looked grateful and relieved.  
  
"Tomorrow I rekon I'll scry a bit - see if I discover anything interesting. Maybe I'll get an answer - or a clue." She said, upbeat.  
  
"Er...scry?"   
  
Calypso shot him a withering look.  
  
"You obviously slept through all you Divination lessons. Scry. With my crystal ball. You know, see into the future."  
  
"But....you said you didn't know any magic" said Remus, confused.  
  
"No, I said I didn't know any spells. Big diff. I don't know any charms, hexes, enchantments, curses and so on. The ministry can detect those ones. But I know quite a bit about Divination, Potion-brewing and Astronomy. They can't detect them." She said proudly. "I've got a crystal ball in my pack - that's why it's so goddam heavy."  
  
Remus looked interested.  
  
"What else can you do?"  
  
"Ummm.....stuff like levitation - but it's really inaccurate - and lighting stuff on fire - and I can explode things if I am angry enough."  
  
"Indirect magical application...." Remus murmured to himself  
  
"What?"  
  
"Indirect magical application. As opposed to direct magical application that requires a wand, like spells. There are certain things you can do without direct spells - like levitation. But it takes heated emotion, or lots of hard work......" Remus said slowly, eyeing the girl across the table from with renewed respect.  
  
"Well, did you think I was just going to say, cool, I can't get taught magic stuff, that's fine with me? I'm good at Divination and Potion-brewing and Astronomy. Really good. I learned as much as I possibly could. And isn't there some spells that once you set them up, you don't need wands. Isn't there? Like apparation? And turning yourself into an animal? And locks and passwords and stuff like that?"  
  
Remus was careful not to look at the dog sitting on the chair to his left.  
  
"Yeah, how do you know all this stuff? You said that you...."  
  
"I was barred from receiving any magical instruction and making contact with any magical persons. But there was this old witch down the road, Mrs. Wiremu, that I had known since I was little, and she took pity on me. She went and got me spellbooks - not that I could use them - and one day smuggled me into the wandstore and got me a wand. I've only ever used it three times though - on an airplane."  
  
Calypso grinned.  
  
"There are always loopholes in the law, even in magical law. When you are flying overseas, and you are crossing international boarders, there's a slight delay before the information that you are barred from performing spells is sent across and processed. So for about twenty seconds after I cross an international boarder, I can do spells and no-one can tell me off or detect it."  
  
She suddenly stopped.  
  
"Why am I telling you this? You work for the ministry. Which brings up an interesting question, why are you trusting ME? Huh?" she said suddenly.  
  
Remus smiled and reached into the pockets of his pants and brought out....  
  
"A spinning top. What the hell does a spin..."  
  
"It's a Pocket Sneakoskope. If you were dishonorable, or anything like that, this would spin around, whistle and flash crazy colours."  
  
Calypso peered at it with wide eyes.  
  
"And also, my dog trusts you. You were right, he is very intelligent - well, for a dog that is." He added, glancing slyly at the dog, who growled.  
  
"Also, my note said not to go into the room at the end of the corridor. You didn't - if you had tried the doorhandle, you would have found that you somehow you couldn't take your hand off it, no matter how much you tried."  
  
Calypso laughed.  
  
"Smart."  
  
"Hmmm. I thought so too. But why do you trust me?"  
  
Calypso gazed straight at him.  
  
"Eyes are windows to the soul. I can look into people's eyes and see a helluva lot. From what I saw, I knew I could trust you."  
  
This news visibly ruffled Remus.  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"I didn't SEE anything in your eyes, just...felt emotions. Sorta." She shrugged.  
  
Remus was interested, but was eager to change the topic  
  
"What I'm really interested in is exactly HOW you saw this house. It's under a Fidleus Charm. You shouldn't have been able to see it at all."  
  
Comprehension dawned in Calypso's eyes.  
  
"Ohhhhhh......I didn't at first....but then it all sorta just materialized out of thin air. I think it has something to do with the Buzz in my head."  
  
Thinking very hard, she began talking again.  
  
"Your dog...guards the road, doesn't he....for any wizards or anyone that can get past the repellant charms on the road....and when he saw me, he ran off, coz he thought I would just eventually give up....I would have, but that damm buzz wouldn't let me.....and then he decided to lead me to you, so you could just place a memory charm on me....and just dump me in the village...."  
  
"That was the plan" Remus said ruefully.  
  
"...But I saw the house.....so you thought I must have been a witch or a messenger or something....but I was under the influence of the spells on the road, so you thought I couldn't be magical....and then I collapsed...."  
  
"Leaving me in a very sticky situation when I got called into work last night." Said Remus dryly.  
  
"...so the pocket sneak-y thing told you that I was trustworthy, so you moved all the obviously magical stuff to the room at the end of the hall...and left your dog to look after me....and those men on the road were wizards weren't they...what exactly do you do at the Ministry? Those men were after you, weren't they?"  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"And they couldn't see the house coz it was under that charm."  
  
There was quiet in the house while Calypso thought.  
  
"I can't tell you what I do at the Ministry, it's classified information. But tomorrow I have to go back, there has been a major emergency, and........." Remus stopped in mid-sentence.  
  
Calypso looked at the horrified expression on Remus's face.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I just remembered...I'm supposed to be cooking my girlfriend dinner tomorrow night, and Pantry is sulking....what am I going to do?" he wailed.  
  
The dog started sniggering again.  
  
Calypso cuffed the dog over his head gently, and looked at the shell-shocked Remus.  
  
"It's OK, I'll go into the village tomorrow and get some stuff."  
  
"You will? Really? Oh gosh, that fixes a lot of problems." He said, obviously relieved.  
  
"Yeah sure" said Calypso, laughing quietly. "It's no trouble, especially after all you've done for me."  
  
He grinned.  
  
"Well, since you are not a muggle after all, I can put all the furniture back in place, can't I?"  
  
Remus got up and walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Calypso went to follow him, interested, but a loud bang and a flash of brilliant pink light persuaded her to start on the dishes instead. Up to her elbows in soapy water, she was startled when suddenly large, heavy objects and furniture started flying across the kitchen and settling into place on the shelves, cupboards and floor. A grandfather clock landed with a thud, but the next object, a large chest, landed with a huge crash that shook the whole house. Rugs unfurled themselves, and paintings re-hung themselves on the walls. Walking over to the fridge, she saw that magnets and photos were now speeding through the open doorway and raining onto the fridge front.  
They were wizard photos, she saw - the people were moving in them. There were also some press cuttings too - but it was the photos that interested her.  
They showed pictures of a various assortment of people, all dressed in robes. The people were all waving, smiling and laughing. There was a few pictures of a younger Remus Lupin, surrounded by friends who were jostling to get into the camera frame and waving like idiots. Calypso squatted on the floor and looked at the mosaic of photos for a while - moving photos were a novelty.  
When Remus came back onto the kitchen, she was still squatting there, oblivious to the pool of soapy water now on the ground from her dripping gloves.  
  
"Spotted me yet?" he asked  
  
Calypso nodded and pointed to a few photos.  
  
"Well, you can use the bathroom now - I've taken the Grindylow out of the bath tub. I'm going to bed - I have an early start tomorrow."  
  
Calypso started to laugh.  
  
"You had a Grindylow in the bath tub? God. Oh, before you go, I still don't know your dog's name. I don't think he likes being called mongrel - he growls when I say that."  
  
Remus choked back some laughter.  
  
"Really? He didn't like it? Well, erm....his name is... Snuffles."  
  
Calypso looked at him with distaste.  
  
"That is the worst name I have ever heard for a dog like him. Snuffles? Why not poochy-kins? Damm that's terrible!"  
  
Remus grinned.  
  
"Oh, but I do like poochy-kins..."  
  
The dog snarled and glared at Remus.  
  
Remus grinned even more at the dog.  
  
"Cmon poochy-kins! Off to bed-dy byes!" he sang in a mocking tone.  
  
If animal looks could kill... Calypso thought. Snuffles got up, jumped down from the chair, streched and walked huffily out the door.  
  
Remus sniggered.  
  
The fridge startled Calypso again by suddenly piping up.  
  
"Er...Sir....Pantry was supposed to tell you, but since she's not speaking to you...ummm...an owl arrived for you a few hours ago, it's outside."  
  
"Thank you Fridge. I'll go read it, then go to bed. Goodnight" he said.  
  
When Remus had left the room, the fridge said spoke again shyly.   
"Ummm...would you like some Chocolate Mousse?"  
  
  
Later on, snuggled down in her bed, Calypso realised that she was, for the first time in ages, feeling at home. But why? She thought. I know hardly anything about where I am or who Remus Lupin is. Why did you tell him so much, you dumbnut? He knows too much now. She continued mentally scolding herself for a few minutes, until she started googling at the new furnishings in her room.   
There was a large bookcase, filled with interesting-looking tomes, a mirror over the chest-of-drawers, a locked chest, and numerous posters of wizards on broomsticks on the walls. The thing that most captivated Calypso was that like the photos on the fridge, the wizards (and witches) were moving, making very interesting watching. So interesting, that she was still watching one wizard in purple robes do a loop-the-loop when she fell asleep.  
In the room opposite her, the dog, Snuffles, had wriggled under the blankets of the double bed, and was fast asleep, snoring a little.  
But in the room down the end, Remus was still awake. He had a lot to think about. Calypso's story was very strange, yes, that was true, but it could be checked out with a few owls. And if she was a true seer, she could become very useful to them all....  
Remus wondered again what she had done to get barred from Wizard School - but, Remus reminded himself, that wasn't all. She said that she was barred from receiving magical instruction and making contact with magical persons!! Even though Remus initally had thought, as a young boy, that he could never attend Hogwarts, he had always known that he could learn magic through correspondence, with his parents teaching him, and he was always around magical people, and visiting magical places. What had she done....? But she seemed trustworthy, and she obviously didn't have any other place to go, and she was good company.... His thoughts kept him up late, and it was near midnight when he finally dropped off to sleep.  
  
  
Calypso was awoken in the morning by something wet on her cheek.  
  
"Geroff, Commando, I'm tryi....."  
  
He brain woke up and she realised that Commando was on the other side of the world.  
With a well-placed elbow jab, Snuffles fell off her bed with a thump.  
  
"Yeeruch. Thanks for the wakeup, but I like mine a little less wet." She leant over the side of the bed and rubbed his ears consolingly.  
  
From the noises outside the room that seemed to be coming from the kitchen, Remus was obviously still here. She got up and, pulling on the last of her clean clothes, a t-shirt and jeans, walked into the kitchen. Remus was finishing up his breakfast, and looked up when Calypso strolled through the door into the sun-splashed, warm kitchen.   
  
"Morning" he said between chews  
  
She nodded, and pulled up a chair.  
  
"What time do you expect dinner to be at?" she asked  
  
Remus furrowed his brow with thought.  
  
"There's no way to be sure, could be anything from 5 till 8, depends on how work goes today." He said eventually.  
  
Calypso shrugged her shoulders.  
  
There was silence for a few seconds.  
  
"I think I owe you some proof. I mean, I was thinking about it last night, and my whole story seems real shady, so the least I can do is show you that I really can do divination. That's about all that I can prove though."  
  
"You don't need to prove anything - remember, I said I believe you." Remus replied, but his eyes lit up. He had never seen anyone do real divination - his teacher at Hogwarts had a total of 11 predictions in her lifetime, and none of them he had witnessed.  
  
Calypso smiled at his obvious excitement, and went and got her crystal ball and sat it on the table.  
  
Remus peered at it.   
  
"It's all cloudy"  
  
"Of course you idiot. What did you expect, it to be perfectly clear....oh....you had a bad teacher for divination didn't you? Crystal balls are supposed to be cloudy - did you always use clear ones?"  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"No wonder divination has such a bad rep" Calypso grumbled as she walked around the kitchen, opening up every window she could see, much to Remus's puzzlement.  
  
"Where's your incense?"  
  
She snorted with disgust.  
  
"Clean, fresh air, with a breeze is best."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Calypso settled herself into the chair and crossed her legs.  
  
"OK, let's go." She leant forwards, propped her elbows up on the table and rested her head in her hands. She looked at the crystal ball, which was about as big as a shot put and supported on a little wooden base. Her eyes seemed lazy and unfocused, her head tilted to the side. and she looked to Remus like she was just daydreaming. Then, to Remus's surprise, the cloudy contents of the ball suddenly swished like they had just been stirred, flowed around, and vanished, leaving the ball perfectly clear. Remus, intrigued, glanced at Calypso, to find himself frozen in place. Her eyes.........  
The pupils were no longer black, but a dazzling white. She was focusing on something far, far beyond the ball, and her hair was blowing around in the breeze. Remus quickly decided that he had never seen anything so eerie. Little chills ran up his spine like cold electric currents. Daring not to breathe, he slowly got up and, not taking his eyes off the immobile girl at his kitchen table, started walking backwards to the door. But Calypso suddenly sat up, eyes normal once again and looked at him with a distressed look on her face.  
  
"What? What happened?" she asked  
  
Remus stood there, not knowing what to say.  
  
"You went...weird. Your pupils went white..."  
  
"Yeah, creepy aye?"  
  
Remus nodded his head emphatically.  
  
Calypso gave a sad smile.  
  
"D'ya wanna know what I saw? I saw a man with a metal hand, and he was reading something."  
  
Remus's eyes opened wide.  
  
"That means something to you?" Calypso asked curiously.  
  
"More than you think" mumbled Remus.   
"I have to go now......I'll be late for work."  
  
He walked outside, and with Calypso and Snuffles watching, disappeared in thin air.  
  
"I 'spose that's Apparating. Cool." Calypso said to Snuffles.  
  
She wondered what had affected Remus so much - she knew she looked weird when she used her crystal ball, maybe it was that, or maybe it was what she had seen.  
Bad idea to tell him, she decided. Why did she trust this guy so much?  
  
  
It was about a 45 minute walk along the road to Peachgrove Village. Calypso set off with Snuffles after she had done the washing - or, more to the point, had given her dirty clothes to the washing machine, who had eagerly started washing them for her. Calypso thought she should invest in one of those - it could save a lot of work.  
In Calypso's shoulder bag was some money and a dogcollar and leash. Once they hit the village, she would put Snuffles on the lead. She was sure he wouldn't like that too much. She was right.   
The Village was actually quite large - larger than what Calypso had expected. Than again, she had expected a few thatched huts and a pub. There was a pub - actually there was three. And a Supermarket and a few shops.  
As Calypso and Snuffles came towards the end of the road, it gradually became skinnier and by the time it met the road, it was nothing but a little lane. To Calypso's surprise, all the people walking past it never even saw her until she was on the bubble-gum littered pavement. Their gaze simply slid straight over the entrance to the lane like it simply did not exist. She wondered for a few seconds what kind of charm it was, but then concentrated on finding the nearest supermarket.   
It felt good to be back in civilization - even though she didn't miss the cars and their sickly fumes, and the blaring of televisions mingling with the radio announcer's voice, and the yells coming from no. 33 Pembroke St, who were having, by the sounds of it, a domestic. But people....people were walking down the street, and up the street, and it felt good for Calypso simply just to have people around. Snuffles tugged on the leash and dragged her forward into the flow of people, and she just let him lead while she had a good look at the village. It was quite charming, despite the neon signs and concert posters tacked up everywhere. She stopped Snuffles outside a giftshop, and looked at the things inside the window.   
  
"I'm gonna buy some stuff, OK?" she said to the Snuffles quietly, so that the passers-by couldn't her her talk to a dog.  
  
Snuffles sighed, but sat down on the hot pavement. Calypso tied him to the nearest parking meter and went in to the giftshop, returning a few minutes later with a large bag swinging off her arm. Snuffles did not look impressed - he was hot and bored. He was even less impressed when Calypso repeated this exercise at many other shops, and even growled when she spent half an hour inside a naturalistic shop looking at crystals and other such hippy stuff. When she went to stop at the next shop, Snuffles just kept ploughing ahead, despite Calypso tugging on the lead, and dragged her straight to the supermarket. Calypso was a little annoyed, but knew that the poor dog was hot and bothered, and, like any male, was bored by shopping. So she tied him to a tree in the shade, and went into the supermarket.   
  
The supermarket was air-conditioned, and Calypso enjoyed pushing the trolley lazily around the aisles. She had filled the trolley about a quarter of the way up when she went to the checkouts and started unloading her groceries onto the conveyer belt. She loved the sound of the checkouts - it brought back so many memories.   
  
Just as she was chatting away to the checkout girl about the weather, she started to feel that familiar tingle along the back of her neck and the racing of her pulse that signaled a vision coming on. She took a deep breath as she felt strength leak out of her legs and her vision become blurred. Frantically, she turned to see if there was any place she could sit down, but there was none. She slowly collapsed onto the floor, and dimly heard the checkout girl's cries of alarm as she slid down the side of the checkout and started shaking.  
  
She saw.....  
  
She saw.....  
  
She was high up in the air, looking over a model of a town, no, it was a real town, she could see little moving things that must be cars and people - they all looked like ants in an ant farm. She swooped lower, and lower, and the buildings became larger and clearer, until she could see...she recognised the town - it was Peachgrove Village, and she was dropping towards what must be the Supermarket. Lower and lower, until they were about 50 metres above the roof. Then she moved slightly to the side, and looked around her. To her shock, she saw three robed men on broomsticks hovering in mid air- two from the road the day before, and another, the one she had seen that morning, the man with the metal hand. He opened his mouth and said something, but Calypso's vision was devoid of all sound. What happened, though, explained to her the gist of what the metal-handed man had said. All three of the men pulled wands out of their pockets and pointed them down towards the supermarket and shopping district. The metal-handed one cried a word, and the others followed suit, and beams of orange light shot out of their wands and raced towards the shops. It touched, and.....exploded.  
It was like TV - the shockwave, the collapsing buildings, the little ant-people running around, terrified, the burning, the heat, the destruction....and the manical gleam in the wizards eyes. The leader, the metal-d one, laughed broadly, and lifted his wand into the sky, and bellowed something. Green light slithered out of the end, and flowed out into the sky to form a huge image....then they all wheeled about on their broomsticks and fled into the horizon.   
16 minutes to go.  
  
Calypso opened her eyes.  
  
A large, wrinkled face was right in from of her. She blinked.  
  
"Are you okay Honey?" the wrinkled face asked, worried.  
  
Calypso blinked.  
  
"Yes, yes.....Oh my God I'm so sorry, I forgot to take my pills this morning, sorry to give you all such a big fright...."she said quickly, for she was aware of the crowd gathered around.  
  
She took the arm offered by the matronly, wrinkled checkout lady and scrambled up, dusting down her clothes and still making apologies. People slowly looked away.  
After assuring the checkout ladies that she was fine, and the best thing for her to do was to go home and rest.  
  
Paying for her groceries, and handing over pounds to the still concerned checkout girl, she knew she only had 14 minutes.  
  
She grabbed her bags and scurried out the door. As soon as she got outside, she scanned the street for a phone booth. Breathing raggedly, Calypso power-walked over the Snuffles, who had fallen asleep. Her fingers shook as she tried to untie his leash from the tree. Slow and steady wins the race, she thought. When it was untied at last, she grabbed the end and hauled poor half-asleep Snuffles roughly across the parking lot towards the phone booth. Snuffles barked, not accustomed to being treated in such a rough manner. But Calypso was beyond caring. Reaching the booth, she dropped the lead and bags on the ground and went into the booth.  
  
"Guard" she snapped to Snuffles.  
  
Grabbing the phone book - thankfully, it was there - she flipped through the pages until she found the supermarket's phone number. Inserting a few coins and dialing the number she waited, listening to the phone ring.  
  
11 minutes.  
  
There was a click as someone picked up at the other end and started talking in a cherry voice.  
  
"Shut up" said Calypso in a deadpan, deep, male, British voice.  
  
There was stunned silence at the other end of the line.  
  
"Listen to me. There is a bomb in the building. It will go off in under eleven minutes. I suggest you evacuate the building - fast. And probably the rest of the street. This is not a hoax. Ask yourself - do you feel like dying today?" she continued in the same voice, before placing a finger smartly on the little plastic bit that hangs up the phone.   
But she didn't put the receiver down - instead, she had a one-sided conversation with 'Marge', and slouched against one side of the booth, all the time watching the supermarket entrance.  
To her great relief, with in a few seconds she heard a siren, and confused and scared people started flooding out of the supermarket.  
Within another five minutes, police cars came scrambling up the road, lights flashing, and police in heavy armor started running everywhere. One officer ran towards Calypso in the phone booth.  
  
"Mam, please step this way, we have had a bomb threat phoned in targeting this vicinity" he said, panting, after opening the booth door.  
  
Careful to look scared, Calypso grabbed her bags, Snuffle's lead and ran out of there as fast as she could. Dodging police barricades, she joined other people doing the same thing - the jostling, terrified crowd poured down the streets, yelling and screaming. She heard the tinkling of breaking glass and the wail of burglar alarms. It was turning into a riot. A knot formed in Calypso's throat. She was scared, too. She couldn't resist looking at the sky over the supermarket behind her - but she saw nothing. Good, she thought, most people should be gone before they get here.  
  
The crowd was picking up momentum and Calypso found it hard to break free, especially burdened as she was. She started to panic, as was the crowd. It was Snuffles that managed to drag her over to the side of the mob and into the lane that was the road back to Remus's house.   
Panting and weak with exhaustion, Calypso doubled over and tried to catch her breath. Breath in control, she flicked her head up to the sky, and saw three specks over the supermarket's sky. Before she had time to react, there was a flash of brilliant orange light and a kaboom and a whoosh...  
  
Then the shockwave hit her - picking her up into the air like a ragdoll, and throwing her across the lane, flooding her senses with violent, angry, rushing energy, her ears screaming with the extremity of it all. She hit the fence body first, with a thud, limbs whacking the wood afterwards with a sick cracking noise, and was pinned there for a few seconds before falling to the ground, unconscious.  
  
  
Well, there ya go.  
  
Disclaimer - The usual. All JK Rowling's stuff belongs exclusively to her.  
  
Thanks to all those wonderful, enthusiastic people who reviewed - nothing like reviews to motivate and inspire. So take that as a not-so-subtle hint.   
And, yes, I know, I spelt all the spells wrong. And many other words. But you know what they are, right?  
  
So cmon, I spent a few hours writing this, the LEAST you can do is spare a few SECONDS of your measly time and write a review - I don't care if it's only three words. But I do like longer ones. Hint hint. And flames too. So write. I really really appreciate it.  
  
Thank you for flying Air Sorceress - please come again soon. Out next flight will be departing sometime after the pilot's Calculus Exam, which she is shitting herself over. Have a nice day!!!!  
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

Gudday all, and welcome to my epic, whirl-wind masterpiece, filled with drama, mystery, romance, action, nail-biting tension and thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat!  
(I'm a very sarcastic person, have you realized yet?)  
Authors note - Kuia means 'old woman' in Maori - it is also used to mean 'grandmother'.  
  
*  
Calypso floated back into reality.  
  
Her head throbbed like a car engine. Chuga chuga chuga. Ow ow ow.  
  
Consciousness flowed up her head slowly, so she could feel her body lying on her back and the rough sheets over her body. She could also feel every lobe of her brain as it thumped against her skull. Ker-thump ker-thump ker-thump.  
She could feel her body, but to her horror, she could not move it. At all.  
She succumbed to the blackness once again.  
  
  
She could hear voices, distant, fading in and out, murmuring indistinctly.  
  
She blacked out again.  
  
  
Finally, she woke up. It was like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water over her.   
Her eyes snapped open.  
  
She was still lying on her back, and she could see, at first, only the ceiling. It was white.  
Trying to roll over, she discovered that she couldn't again. She was completely immobile. The only things she could move were her eyes. She looked as far as she could to the side.   
  
She was in a hospital - which was clear enough. Nothing looks quite like a hospital. The sterile, clean, sanctuary that is a hospital cannot be replicated. Also no architect with any design sense would paint a long hall a sickly green colour and litter it at regular intervals with white metal framed beds.  
Also, nothing quite felt like a hospital bed - creaky and scrunchy with the rubber sheet underneath, and the thin, scratchy hospital bed sheets. And the smell. Janola and Formeldehyde and vynal.   
Yes, Calypso thought. I am in a hospital. I had a vision of wizards blowing up the village, so I phoned in a bomb threat, and the place blew and I got knocked out. So, yes, I probably am in hospital. I am sane, because I am thinking very logically here. Good.   
She tried not to think about why she couldn't move, but the thought crept in and stabbed her in the stomach, making the bile in her gut surge.   
Oh God not paralyzed. God not that.  
She had been in this same predicament twice before, the first time when she was out mustering in the back blocks, when her horse had slipped and, rolling down the steep hillside, crushed her underneath it's massive bulk. She had woken up in hospital, strung up to metal things, unable to move, with Ben sitting beside her, holding her hand. She had a broken neck that time.   
There was no-one sitting beside her this time.  
And the second time............  
She didn't want to think about it.  
  
It was only about two minutes before someone came, but to Calypso, who was lying on her bed like a root vegetable, it was more like twenty with only the white ceiling to look at.   
The doors at the end of the hall crashed open and in walked a squat, rounded figure in a white dress. No, correction, a sack. Also called a nurse's uniform. The little nurse started investigating the contents of the beds, all the time blabbing away like all nurses do, in a friendly, broad English accent. None of the other patients said anything. The nurse just kept on chatting, though, all the time working swiftly and deftly, scribbling things on charts and doing such things.  
Finally she had worked her way up to Calypso.   
Calypso stared at the nurse as she came closer, imploring her to realize that she was conscious.  
  
"Ooh awake are we?" the Nurse said cheerfully  
  
God bless English accents, Calypso thought dreamily. The Nurse's voice flowed in one ear and out the other, bathing her thumping brain.  
  
Calypso blinked. That was supposed to mean, HELP ME! I CAN'T MOVE! but of course the nurse did not hear that, and simply grabbed one end of her wheeled hospital bed and started rolling it down the rows of beds and towards the double swinging doors at the end.   
As she passed each bed, Calypso strained to see who was lying in the other beds.   
After seeing the first one, Calypso decided to avert her eyes. Its skin was lobster red, and quivering. Calypso stared at the ceiling. If that person was like that, what was the state of her body like....  
They banged into the swinging doors and burst into the corridor.  
It was much noisier now, she could hear distant voices and scurrying feet, shoes slapping on lino, mixed with the general bustle of a hospital.  
The bed swung around a corner in the corridor and towards the noise more. Then they banged another pair of swinging doors open and entered another long room, again, painted that sickly pea green and lined with metal beds.  
  
"Dr. McBurney" sang the cherry little nurse. "This little blondie is back in the real world again."  
  
Into Calypso's sight walked a bearded, wrinkled old man wearing a blue sack that could be described as a doctor's uniform. He grunted at the nurse, who returned a brilliant smile. He leant over Calypso and looked carefully at her eyes.  
  
Calypso blinked and winked.  
  
"Aye, we'll unbind her." he said, with a voice like an avalanche. It grated nastily on Calypso's sore head.  
  
The nurse nodded feverishly and the doctor reached into his uniform pocket and brought out.....  
  
a wand.  
  
He pointed it at Calypso and muttered something. Calypso didn't care which spell he used, because with a sudden jolt, she discovered she could move and speak.  
  
"Hoy now!" the doctor cried as she tried to sit up. "Dinna move!"  
  
Calypso was only too happy to oblige - just trying to sit up felt like someone had hit her in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. She flopped back into her plastic-y hospital bed.  
  
"Who are you, love?" said the nurse sweetly.  
  
"Cal...........Carla Grey." she replied raspingly. "Can I have a drink?"  
  
The nurse beamed, and pulling a wand out of her pocket, conjured a glass of water into her hand and gave it with a flourish, to the parched Calypso.  
  
Drinking gratefully, Calypso thought quickly. Wizard hospital. That's where I am. Watch your mouth honey.   
Finished, she handed the glass back to the nurse and was forced to put up with the doctor pointing his wand, now with a light at the end, into her eyes and ears.  
  
The nurse was looking at Calypso quizzically.   
"People usually ask 'where am I' or 'what happened'." she commented. "You're awfully quiet."  
  
"Well, I can pretty confidently say I am in Wizard hospital and I was knocked out by the explosion at Peachgrove Village so why ask?" Calypso said stumblingly as the doctor looked down her throat.  
  
The doctor muttered "Nox" and turned to speak to Calypso.  
  
"Carla, we need to contact your family. You were knocked out so we wish to keep you overnight for observation. You also had three broken ribs and a cracked wrist but dinna worry, we healed those while you were unconscious."  
  
There was a few moment's silence.  
  
"A contact person?" the doctor demanded  
  
"Uh....Remus Lupin." ventured Calypso finally.  
  
"Relationship?" asked the nurse, scribbling the information down on a clipboard that had suddenly appeared in her hand.  
  
"Uh.........I live with him at the moment." she replied hesitantly.  
  
The nurse and doctor exchanged shocked looks over Calypso's bed.  
  
There was more silence.  
  
"How come I couldn't move?" asked Calypso.  
  
"Ye had a head injury, so we put the Complete Body Bind on ye to stop ye movin an doin any more damage." replied the doctor. "How do ya feel?"  
  
"Like I've been run over by a truck" she replied.  
  
"Hmmm" said the doctor coldly.  
  
"My head aches though" she added.  
  
The doctor jumped, and quickly looked at her eyes again.  
  
"Holy crap. Bleeding on the brain."  
"NURSE!" he bellowed suddenly.  
  
"Yes Doctor?" said the shocked little nurse.  
  
"Get her into surgery now. Dr. Cortex should be free in Theatre three. I'll inform him now."   
  
He turned to go, and looked back at the nurse.  
  
"What are ya waiting for? GO!" he yelled.  
  
The nurse quickly grabbed the end of Calypso's bed and, suddenly they were flying down the corridors again.  
  
Calypso looked frantically from side to side as they raced down hallways in a blur of colour, and other nurses and doctors joined them. Just as she was about to tell the nurse to stop going so fast, she realized that the nurse wasn't pushing the bed - it was moving by itself. One doctor running alongside her bed grabbed her wrist and took her pulse with one hand, and with the other pointed her wand right between Calypso's eyes.   
The world disintegrated into blackness again.  
  
  
*  
The sun was hot and the north-west wind was dry as the girl got off the bus. She leapt down the stairs onto the grass and ran along side the dirty green-and-yellow clanging contraption as it drove away, children laughing and waving out the windows. The bus left a swirling cloud of dust in its wake, and the girl slowed to a trot, waving back. She turned to a long driveway and walked with ease of practice over the smooth shining metal bars of the cowstop, never slipping once. Collecting the scanty mail out of the rough tin letterbox, she stuffed it in her purple backpack next to her lunchbox and started to walk up the bumpy driveway to the house at the top of the hill. Grass seeds flew in the air as she treked through the long, dry grass next to the fenceline. The girl leant over the fence to stroke the nose of a cow who had come to investigate, but it shied from her touch, rolling its great brown eyes dramatically. The girl reached out to touch it again, and felt coarse black and white hair under her fingers before the lumbering cow could move it's bulk away in time. The girl giggled an eleven-year old laugh, twin blonde plaits over her shoulders bouncing. She turned and ran the rest of the way up the driveway, plaits thumping and swaying, and grass seeds billowing as she ran her hand through the stalks as she ran.   
Panting, she reached the house, shielded from the merciless sun by large, leafy, drooping trees that created an oasis of green in the burnt brown that was to be seen for miles in every direction. Birds flew from all places to go there, and as always the trees were singing with their voices. The girl stopped, panting under them, and pushed loose tendrils of hair off her face, and wiping sweat off her lightly freckled cheeks before walking serenely to the front door.  
  
"Kuia!!!!!! I'm home Kuia! We had such a cool day today, we went swimming at the High School pools and I could dive right to the bottom of the deep end of the pool and........"  
  
The girl started warbling away the moment she stepped in the door, and kept talking as she dropped her bag in the kitchen, after spotting a pile of pikelets sitting on a cooling rack, covered with a tea towel. Still nattering away, she located jam and cream and started loading a plate full of sticky, fresh pikelets.  
  
"...and no-one else could do that, and the swimming coach said I had very developed lungs, and then Ian started telling him off because he thought he had said something rude and then Tessa jumped off the diving board and landed with a huge bomb and spalshed everyone's towels and Mike went and dunked her and got in heeeeaps of trouble coz it was all an accident coz she, I mean, Tessa, didn't meant to splash anyone she just didn't know how to dive..... hey Kuia, where are you?"  
  
The girl started stuffing her face with sweet piklelets and walked back outside, looking around. The dry wind rustled the leaves in the giant trees and made swooshing sounds as the girl walked around the house and gardens, chewing pikelets. Finding birds, sheep and cows, but no Kuia, the girl looked puzzled, and absently fed a pikelet to an inquisitive and friendly old pet sheep. Where was Kuia?  
  
Aaah, maybe she was in the toilet.   
  
The girl went to the back door and followed a little paved path to the bottom end of the garden, to a little wooden outhouse. Knocking lightly on the heavy door, she called softly  
  
"Kuuuuia? Ya in there?"  
  
There was no response.  
  
She pushed the door slowly open with a finger, but there was nothing in there apart from the toilet roll, a few old copies of Women's Weekly and the white painted wooden toilet seat over the can. The girl looked puzzled, shut the door and went back up the path to the house.   
  
Opening the back door, she stuck her head inside, and called again.  
  
"Hey Kuia, whaddare ya playing at? Where are ya?"  
  
There was no reply.  
  
The girl moved into the hallway, and opening each door off it as she walked along, investigated, calling each time for Kuia.   
  
She put her hand on the bedroom door's large brass handle, and turned it slowly, opening the door just a crack. She peered through the gap to see into Kuia's bedroom. She could see the end of a large, cream four-poster bed, and a pair of wrinkled, callused old feet on the end of it.   
  
"Kuia?" she whispered.  
  
There was no reply.  
  
Smiling, the girl slowly shut the door, and crept back outside. She went to the stone tub attached to the outside of the house and picked up a wicker washing basket and an apron full of pegs. Filling the basket up with wet, clean clothes and wrapping the apron around her waist, she reminded herself that Kuia was not young anymore. At her age, she thought, Kuia should be looking to buy one of those new washing things instead of doing it all the old way with a scrubbing board. But she knew what Kuia would have to say about that. Kuia liked doing things the old way - she disliked change, Ian said. But the girl knew that Kuia loved the feel of doing hard work, and washing, cooking and gardening was all about she was up to now. Humor the old woman, and let her scrub her clothes by hand, said Ian. But she's ruining her fingers! Protested the girl. Ian simply gave her that patronizing 'I'm seventeen and you're only eleven, and you say the cutest things' look that the girl always seemed to be getting those days.  
Picking up the heavy basket of sodden clothes, the girl waddled over to the rickety washing line and started hanging up clothes and bed sheets with wooden pegs.  
She loved it at Kuia's - not like at home. Kuia's was different. Even though Kuia was not really her Grandmother, the girl had always called her Kuia. And despite the girl being blue-eyed, having wheaten blonde and lightly freckled, unlike Kuia's deep, chocolate- brown skin, wavy gray hair and eyes so dark they looked black, the girl personally reckoned that Kuia was her Grandmother. Despite the fact that this was obviously not the case, the girl loved the old woman like she really was her Kuia. And the old woman loved her back like she was her mokopuna. There was a bond between them that no-one could explain.  
Finished with pegging the clothes out in the dry north-westerly wind, the girl untied the peg apron and sneaked back inside to start making tea for Kuia before she had to go home. She didn't want to go home. She never wanted to go home. Before tea, she would always make excuses to stay at Kuia's - but Kuia always saw straight through them.  
  
"Aaah my little mokopuna, you have to hurry along home now. I know what you are playing at, sweetie. You can't stay here. Your caregivers want you back home before six, eh?"  
  
And oblivious to the girl's protests, she would always make sure she was home by six.  
  
And the Kuia would wave from the top of the hill as the girl walked off along the road, with a strange, sad look of longing on her weather-beaten face.  
  
  
*  
Calypso woke up, feeling decidedly groggy.  
  
"Gaaaah. Ugggggh."  
  
A large, out-of-focus head zoomed into her view.  
  
"And how are we feeling, Ms. Grey?"  
  
"Terrible." She croaked.  
  
"That's to be expected when you have been through the mill like you have."  
  
"What's going on?" Calypso demanded in a scratchy voice suddenly.  
  
The blurry head sailed in and out of focus, and finally settled on a sharp-nosed, middle aged woman with brown hair firmly pinned back on a tight bun.   
  
"You are in the Recovery ward at St. Mungo's Hospital. I hear you were involved in the Peachgrove Village Disaster?" she said crisply as she scribbled something on a clipboard with a quill.  
  
Calypso nodded.  
  
"You were out of luck. You got clear of the blast, but when the shockwave hit the enchanted lane, it blew the spells to bits, and whacked you up quite badly. You should be fine now, though. We operated on your head - you had bleeding in the back of your skull from when you hit the fence. Lumos." The doctor lit the end of her wand, and Calypso suffered her eyes, ears and throat being inspected again.  
  
Suddenly Calypso jumped.   
  
"Shit! Snuffles! Aaah, I mean, my dog - what happened to my dog?" she added apologetically to the doctor, who looked shocked at the swear word.  
  
"Your dog was collected by a certain Mr. Lupin, I do believe."  
  
Calypso sighed and sank back into her bed.  
  
"So how long do I have to stay here for?" she asked.  
  
"At least three days, maybe four" said the doctor with a shrug of her shoulders.  
  
Calypso smiled wryly. It could have been worse, she thought.   
  
The doctor had her back to Calypso, and seemed to be busy combining things from a chrome trolley. Turning back around, she handed Calypso a glass phial filled with a deep blue liquid that was smoking lightly.  
  
"Sleeping Potion. You need to get all the sleep you can after a head injury. When you wake up, you will be in a general ward, and should be well enough to receive visitors."  
  
Calypso didn't argue. Then a sudden thought struck her.  
  
"I have visitors?"  
  
The doctor raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yes dear. Quite important ones, too."  
  
Calypso opened her mouth to ask who they were, but the doctor gave her a withering look and shoved the phial at her. Meekly, Calypso took it, and drank deeply.   
  
It tasted queer, like bubblegum and lemonade and yogurt and peas all blended together, was icy cold and kept smoking on the way down. But it worked. Calypso only had time to lie back on her bed before seeing the doctor smiling self-satisfactorily at a potion well brewed as her eyelids became heavier and heavier and heavier...........  
  
Calypso's sweet oblivion was interrupted by a vision.  
  
  
  
Calypso found herself standing in a large room, fully three stories high, dominated by a huge, long, wooden desk that ran like a horseshoe in the center of the hall. Behind the desk was a wall of cubbyholes, and a women and men in shapeless red shifts were posting pieces of paper into them, which disappeared as soon as it left their hands. Looking around, Calypso concluded that this must be the reception for St. Mungos. There was a large, impressive entranceway with elaborate swinging doors carved with pictures of healing and harmony. Surrounding the walls of the reception were numerous squishy chairs, is random, but intense colors. People sitting in these armchairs had views out of the windows of a hot, busy street, with cars and people rushing past, but no-one outside looked in at the reception. They didn't seem to notice it at all. In the chairs at the corner, a young man was sitting, looking intensely worried. An elderly woman in lime-green robes stroked his arm soothingly, but to no avail. Expectant father, Calypso thought. Other people in shocking colored robes sat around, waiting, watching, crying, joyful, shocked, pleased, anxious...... Calypso watched as a doctor in blue robes walked up to the worried man and said something. Calypso's vision had no sound. Whatever the doctor said must have been good news, as the man leapt up, gave the doctor a crushing bear-hug, and ran out a side door leading further into the hospital. Calypso grinned as the doctor recovered his breath, and walked up to the long desk. After saying something to a man dressed in red robes, he turned to leave, and the man in red robes - a receptionist, obviously - scribbled something on a piece of parchment with a quill, and, to Calypso's confusion, held the piece of paper high up in the air. An owl dropped out of mid air to land silently on the desk. It was a tiny little owl, so small it could have fit in the receptionist's hand. The receptionist began tying the piece of paper to the owl's tiny leg, and Calypso looked up.  
The ceiling was littered with owls flying around - large, small, but all various shades of white. There was no visible roost, but there were large gaps in the wall, high up, where owls were flying in and out with the greatest of ease. As Calypso watched, a large owl flew gracefully in and dropped to the reception desk. A woman in red met it, and ripped the letter off it's leg.  
She read it, and looked up. She said something, and another receptionist nodded. They both began writing, and held up pieces of paper. Again, two tiny owls dropped to the desk, and the receptionists attached the notes to their legs. The owls took flight, but flew straight into the cubby holes.... and disappeared. Within thirty seconds, two doctors, both tailed by nurses, burst through the doorways off the side of the reception. A few brief words were exchanged between doctors and receptionists, and they all turned to look at the entranceway.   
Right on cue, the swinging doors burst open, and in rushed four wizards, surrounding a body lying on an invisible stretcher. Calypso looked at the body on the stretcher, and gave a gasp. Bouncing up and down on the man's stomach, was....  
  
a monkey dressed up in Jamacian clothes. It had dreadlocks, a yellow, red and green teacosy hat, a shirt printed with Bob Marley faces and khaki shorts. The monkey was screaming a high pitched monkey scream that ran chills up and down Calypso's back. She could hear the monkey.   
The dreadlocked monkey started tearing at the man's robes, and gripping them, thrashed back and forward. He leant forward and bit at the man's throat, tearing flesh, and then resumed bouncing hard up and down, making the man's body convulse spastically. Calypso ran over to the monkey, just as the team of doctors and nurses were doing the same.  
  
"Stop it!" she screamed futilely at the monkey.  
  
It bared its teeth and hissed at her, then resumed screaming.  
  
Calypso looked around hopelessly at the team of doctors, who were now racing the man on the invisible stretcher towards the innards of the hospital, yelling at each other, and trying spell after spell to stop the convulsions. Running alongside them, Calypso suddenly had a thought - they can't see the monkey. She looked back at the monkey, and straight into it's eyes. The monkey stated back at her, dreadlocks swinging madly. Calypso felt her stomach freeze. The monkey's eyes were blood red.......  
  
  
  
  
Calypso woke again, shuddering violently. A nurse grabbed her shoulder. She opened her eyes.  
  
Large, concerned, hazel eyes looked back into hers.  
  
"You OK, hon?"  
  
"Yeah......just bad dreams" Calypso lied.   
  
She looked around. She was now in a large, long ward, much like the ones before, but with a few notable differences. The people in this ward were awake and moving. Some were reading books, some were talking, others practicing spells with their wands, others writing. Some were simply looking bored. All were surrounded with bouquets of flowers, gifts, posters and bowls of fruit. Calypso looked at her little bedside table. It was bare.  
  
"The doctor will be with you in a minute" said the hazel-eyed nurse, who turned and walked over to a man who was shooting green sparks from the end of his wand.  
  
It was now or never, Calypso though. Careful to make sure no-one was looking, she pulled the covers aside and slipped out of bed. The wizard doctors had done a good job with her head - she felt no pain or dizziness as she silently stood up. Apparently though, they hadn't quite mastered healing bruises though - Calypso winced as her body ached in uncountable spots. Looking around again, Calypso walked purposefully to the end of the hall and pushed open one of the swinging doors.  
  
In the hall, Calypso was faced with a decision - left or right? Deciding to go right, Calypso had only taken two steps before she felt a familiar feeling in her head. The buzz.  
  
It wanted her to go left.  
  
Dammit, thought Calypso angrily. I thought I had got rid of that thing for good! But she obediently turned to the left and jogged down the corridor.  
  
From behind her, she heard a yell.  
  
Crap, she thought. That was quick. The doors banged open.  
  
"OI! COME BACK HERE YOU!!!"  
  
Calypso broke out into a run  
  
"STOP!"  
  
She stretched out her legs and ate up the lino.  
  
"Goddammit STOP! STUPEFY!"   
  
Calypso leapt and landed on her hands as a beam of green light shot past her, missing her right arm by inches. She did a forward roll, and leapt smoothly back up onto her feet and kept running, never missing a beat.  
  
Right! Cried the buzz  
  
Calypso skidded around the corner, and kept on running.   
  
There was more yelling behind her as more people joined in the chase. Feet pounding on the lino, Calypso turned left, right, straight ahead, down a flight of stairs, left, left, right, second to left, and right.  
  
The pursuers crashed past down the hallway and turned the corner. Calypso lithely dropped from the ceiling without a sound, and crouching spider-like for a few seconds, stood up and back-tracked a little before turning right down another passage.   
  
Wait, said the buzz. Smart idea, Calypso thought. At this rate she would be too early, and besides, she was puffed. She hadn't down any real running since she had boarded the first plane to America, and was starting to feel the effects of it. Breathing deeply, she put her hands on her thighs and rested for a second. That was when she saw the picture on the wall. A wizard photo, it was old, black and white, and featured a sharp looking nurse with ironed creases down the front of her white robes. The nurse was peering curiously at the panting Calypso.   
  
"'Scuse me, but do you happen to know where the reception hall is from here?" Calypso asked politely.  
  
"Of course I do. It's the third left, and then the second right. You can't miss it." She replied crisply.  
  
"Thank you" said Calypso breathily, and turned to continue to the reception at a more leisurely pace. But no sooner had she turned than the nurse in the photo gave a gasp and let rip.  
  
"ESCAPED PATIENT IN THE PEADATRIC CORRIDOR! HEEEELP!"  
  
Calypso swore loudly and broke into a run. Did she have, she thought, a large red stamp on her forehead that read 'Escaped patient from Mental Asylum - please give chase?'  
  
Doors flashed by, and curious heads popped out as she dashed past, long legs working hard to give her the extra few metres on her chasers. She could hear them behind her, and more were gaining the pack every second. She dashed around the corner of the third left corridor, not bothering to slow down, and ran straight into someone.  
  
"Aarugh!"  
  
"Oomph!"  
  
"Calypso! What the hell are you doi..."  
  
"Remus!"   
  
Calypso was just as shocked as Remus was. She broke free of his grasp and dashed further down the corridor, which was now wider and had signs pointing to the reception and exit. Just ahead of her, she could see the dual team of doctors and nurses dashing to attend the man with the dreadlocked monkey, and a confused and winded looking doctor waking the other way. Right on time, she thought.  
  
"Calypso! Fuck! Come back here now!" she heard Remus yell from behind her.  
  
Calypso didn't even slow down. What is wrong with these people? Even Remus. She hit the swinging doors at the end of the corridors hard, to the sound of another STUPEFY! And a jet of green light bounced off the swinging doors as she disappeared through them.   
  
On the other side, Calypso looked quickly around. It was all the same as in her vision, from the identical doctors attending the man on the stretcher, to the people sitting in the armchairs. The only difference was that she could no longer see the monkey - only what it was doing. The man in the stretcher was thrashing about wildly, and suddenly flesh tore off his throat and blood spurted everywhere. The people in the chairs watched in morbid fascination as the doctors tried charm after charm, all to no avail. Calypso dashed up to the stretcher and muscled her way in.  
  
Raking her eyes over the convulsing man, her eyes were drawn to the clasp on his cloak. It was a blood red stone, just like the monkey's eyes. Quickly, before anyone could object, she ripped the clasp off his cloak, and turning, hurled it at the floor.  
  
With a sharp crack, the stone shattered on the marble floor into a thousand tiny, clear shards. From the slivers came a thick, slow moving, green and red smoke that wormed it's way up in the air in front of Calypso. The vapors twisted and twirled, and finally formed the same shape she had seen above the supermarket in Peachgrove, the snake with a pointed tongue.....then it spread, and rose higher, until it reached the owls swooping above. Several breathed in the fumes and came plummeting to the ground.   
  
Behind Calypso, the man had stopped convulsing, and was now breathing raggedly. The doctors and people on the couches were all staring at the floor, the air and at Calypso. Turning, Calypso stared back at them.  
  
"What are you staring at? Have I grown a second head or something? Remus, what's going on?" she demanded as Remus and a group of puffed doctors, nurses and orderlies moved forward, wands at the ready.  
  
Suddenly, Calypso felt a breeze where there shouldn't be a breeze.  
  
Some things never change, whether in a muggle or wizard hospital - like the plastic sheets on the beds, the sickly green paint scheme, the creaky beds......  
  
And hospital nighties with only one little lace to keep them together at the back.  
  
Calypso flushed beetroot red and clapped her hands over her bare buttocks.  
  
"Whoops." Was all she could say, standing uncomfortably on one foot.  
  
  
  
  
Later on, Calypso couldn't remember the next few seconds clearly at all. They were all a blur of people running, yelling, people apparating, screaming, shooting spells at the air where the snake-smoke had been, bringing a hail of stupeied owls raining down on everyone, and in the middle of it all, Calypso wearing next to nothing and totally confused and embarrassed.  
  
She was only saved by the cherry little nurse she had first encountered throwing a cloak over her shoulder and dragging her out of the middle of the fray. Back on the corridors, the nurse opened a door and maneuvered Calypso into a chair.  
  
"Stay there" she said firmly.  
"And no more streaking" she added with a wink.  
  
Sitting in the chair, highly embarrassed, Calypso didn't think she could ever face anyone in that hall ever again. Shaaaame! She though. Showing my ass to everyone apart the pope. Dammit you are an idiot.  
  
After twenty minutes, though, the chaos outside had diminished to mere rumblings, and the nurse slipped back inside the door. Pressing her finger to her lips, she beckoned to Calypso to follow her. Squeezing out the door and down deserted corridors, the eventually wound up in a small room filled with cupboards.  
  
The nurse opened a cupboard and started pulling out underwear and robes.  
  
"What's this for?" asked a bemused Calypso  
  
The little nurse shot her an amused look.  
  
"What, you think you can meet the two most influential wizards in the whole of England in a hospital gown? Geez, that won't do at all. Tell you what, if it hadn't been under such serious circumstances, this would have been one of the funniest days of my life in this hospital, even better than the time Dr. Rowley enchanted nurse Ethyl's potion schedule....." the nurse talked non-stop as she handed Calypso underwear, shoes and deep navy robes and Calypso, still scarlet, dragged them on. The nurse, still talking, then took her wand and charmed Calypso's hair to lie flat and vanished the bags under her eyes before propelling her out the door and down the winding corridors to another room  
  
"This is where I leave you, love. Good luck, and thanks for the laugh!" she said , before shutting the door.  
  
Calypso looked around despairingly. This must be a waiting room, she thought. There were two chairs and another door off it. She took a seat, and thought miserably about what she had just done. She was just reliving the moment when she realized she was showing everyone her bum when the outside door swung open and in walked a disheveled Remus Lupin.  
  
Calypso flushed again.  
  
Remus took the empty seat next to Calypso.  
  
"Do you realize what you have just done?" he asked quietly  
  
"Yeah, make a major ASS in front of everyone in this hospital" she replied miserably.  
  
Remus smiled   
  
"No, you idiot, you saved a man's life. A rather important man's life, and you will probably be congratulated on that. Add that to the hundreds you saved two days ago at Peachgrove Village, and......"  
  
The door swung open.  
  
Remus looked at Calypso, who was busy looking at the floor.  
  
"I guess that's our cue to come in" he said cheerfully and offered Calypso his outstretched hand.  
  
"C'mon, get over it. It wasn't that bad, and it was rather funny at the time."  
  
Calypso looked up slowly, and smiled wryly.   
  
"I guess I've done worse things when I've been drunk." She said, and took Remus's hand.  
  
Remus smiled.  
  
"Come and meet a good friend of mine. I think you'll like him. He's wanted to meet you for some time...."  
  
  
  
  
Well, by now you should know how much I just looooove having reviews, and since I adore flames too, go right ahead. Now, peoples, I have spent HOURS of my time that I should have been spending doing Calculus revision writing this, so the very LEAST you can do is take a few measly SECONDS of your time to review. So, what are you waiting for? C'mon, I'd love to hear from you!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

So you have braved my terrible spelling, heinous titles and suspicious use of punctuation to read another part. Sheez, you are brave.  
  
Disclaimer - All JK's stuff belongs to her. All the rest belongs to me.   
Disclaimer - All JK's stuff belongs to her. All the rest belongs to me.   
(twice because I forgot to do a disclaimer last time)  
Well, almost all the rest. I think someone else penned the organization 'the League against the Dark Arts,' but I didn't realize it till now when I am writing this intro. SORRY! To whoever actually invented the title.  
  
You know, this story is lots like a person trying to row a boat with only one oar. You set it up to go one way, and all of a sudden it's veering off in another direction. So you set it up again, and what happens? So in a few chapters you might finally discover something all good writers are familiar with - it's called a plotline. Sorry about the lack of one so far, and this chapter does nothing to remedy this problem.  
  
And sorry this has taken me a while - I got Laryngitis, Bronchitis, a Strep throat and the Flu all at the same time, and whattya know, over my Calculus exam! Thanks to all the people who wished me well - you were probably the only reason I didn't break onto tears halfway through the paper, as about a quarter of my class were doing.   
Yes, it was that bad.   
The Dux of our school (90's in the tests) came out thinking she had failed. I didn't even attempt 51 percent of the paper - somehow, I think I failed. Whaddya rekon? But I'm holding out for Compassionate Consideration, thanks to my doctor's certificate, which is made out that I was dying. Nice guy, that doctor. Well, anyway, enough about me and on with the story!!  
  
  
The door swung open and Remus strolled in. Calypso stared at his retreating back.   
  
Who is in there? She thought. The doctor and nurse had both hinted that she had important visitors.....she noticed a sign on the door that read 'Director's Private Study'. Calypso's spirits sank. Oh no, she thought desperately. I'll be in trouble about that streaking thing.......  
  
She took a deep, controlled breath and took one hesitant step forward. Whatever was in her stomach seemed to be boiling, splashing and churning. Remus' face peered back over his shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. Calypso gave a watery one back. She gathered her nerve and took three hurried steps through the open doorway to stand next to Remus' shoulder, robes swishing around her ankles.  
  
They were standing in a beautiful, barrel-vaulted room, inlaid with wood and surrounded with heavy oak bookcases. The windows were high up the wall and in the old tradition of Gothic architecture, only let in enough light for the study to be bathed in a mellow, warm glow. At a long table flanked with plush velvet chairs in the center of the room, seated were two men. In the dim lighting, Calypso could not make out any features, but saw one of the men get up from his chair and walk soundlessly over the thick Persian rug to them.  
  
"Mr. Lupin! Ms Grey!" it exclaimed  
  
Calypso flashed a look to Remus, and saw him rather taken aback.  
  
"Cor....Mr. Fudge!" stammered Remus. "I didn't expect you to be here...."  
  
The portly man approaching brushed past Remus and straight to Calypso. Seizing her hand, he shook it enthusiastically. Calypso's eyes were slowly adjusting to the dim interior of the study, and could now see who was pumping her hand vigorously. He was a short, stocky man of about fifty or sixty. Wearing a green pinstriped cloak with matching purple robes he could be nothing but a wizard. He reminded Calypso of a teddy bear. A rather pompous teddy bear.  
  
"...to see you are all right, we were somewhat worried that..." he blabbered on, still shaking her hand.   
  
Calypso found her voice.  
"You are Cornelius Fudge, aren't you? The prime minister for magic or something like that?" she suddenly cut in to his stream of words.  
  
He looked mildly miffed. "Minister of Magic, actually. Lovely so know I'm so famous even in Australia, anyhow."   
  
The other wizard sitting at the table cleared his throat audibly.  
  
Fudge looked confused for a second.   
"Oh yes....I was just leaving....lovely seeing you all alright." He shook Calypso's hand again and bustled out of the room.  
  
Calypso gave Remus a look of incredulity.   
  
"How did you elect an idiot like HIM to be your minister? Jeez...." She said, shaking her head.  
  
"Because Dumbledore wouldn't take the job." He replied.  
  
The wizard sitting at the other end of the table spoke up.  
  
"If you are going to talk about me, at least come closer so I can defend myself" he said in a soft, amused voice.   
  
Calypso looked at him, startled, and started walking forward.  
"DUMBLEDORE? You're joking! Really?" she exclaimed  
  
Dumbledore flicked his wand and two chairs opposite him moved back.   
"Sit" he said amicably.   
Calypso did that, careful to sweep her robes out from under her before sitting down. Robes, she thought, were neat, but you had to be careful not to stand on their hem or sit on them and crease them. She wondered for a second if the hospital would want these robes back - they were very comfy, and she was rather partial to navy.  
  
Calypso looked carefully at the man sitting across the table from her as Remus took his seat. Dumbledore was an old man, approaching eighty or so, Calypso guessed. His gray beard stretched to his waist, and his hair disappeared over his shoulders, which were draped in deep blue robes, embroidered with silver stars and moons. Blue eyes raked her up and down from behind half-moon glasses.   
"So you must be Calypso Grey." His wrinkled, weather-beaten face morphed into a smile, and his eyes twinkled.  
  
Calypso gave him a suspicious stare.   
"Are you REALLY Dumbledore?" she accused him, much like a five-year old child.  
Dumbledore gave a small laugh.  
"If there is another Dumbledore out there somewhere, please let me know."  
"Yes, this is the one and only Albus Dumbledore" Remus said. "What do you know of him?"  
Calypso leaned forward.  
"Only the most powerful and respected wizard of this decade. Defeated Grindewald in 1945, and brought a end to World War II. Orchestrated the resistance against Voldemort during his evil reign. Reputed to be the only wizard Voldemort was scared of. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Famous alchemist. Uhhhhh, what else?" she recited.  
  
Remus grinned.  
"You missed out, 'all-round nice guy'."  
  
Dumbledore looked thoughtful.  
"You were right, Remus. She would do well." He murmured.   
Dumbledore and Remus exchanged looks.   
Calypso looked puzzled.   
  
Before Remus or Dumbledore could say anything more, Calypso cut in.  
"Before we go any further with this conversation, thrilling as it is, could someone please explain what the hell has been going on?" she implored, looking from Dumbledore to Remus.  
  
Remus gave Dumbledore another look, and Dumbledore nodded his head briefly.  
Remus swiveled around on his velvet-covered seat to face a bemused Calypso.  
  
"It's not public news yet, the ministry is trying to keep it under wraps, but..." he shot another look at Dumbledore, who gave another small nod, " about three weeks ago, Lord Voldemort resurrected himself to his former strength and rounded up all his old Death Eaters."  
  
"I know that" interrupted Calypso. "In a graveyard somewhere."  
  
Dumbledore quickly turned around to Calypso, a guarded look on his face.  
"How do you know that?" he demanded  
  
Calypso tapped the side of her head.  
"I'm not a seer for nothing." She replied. "I dreamed parts of it."  
  
Remus gave Dumbledore yet another look, which irked Calypso no end.  
  
"Well, anyway, in the three weeks since he regained his strength, eight wizards and forty-three muggles have been killed. Fifty-two muggles, with the nine that were killed at Peachgrove Village." He continued.  
  
"Woah, hold it there" Calypso interrupted. "This is what I want to know about. Why Peachgrove Village?"  
  
Remus sighed, and paused before continuing.   
"You know, on the road, when you met those men in robes when you went for that walk with Snuffles?"  
"Uhhuh....."   
"They were Death Eaters. They'd come looking for my house, hopefully to destroy it, because we periodically use it for headquarters for the League. League against the Dark Arts, that is" he added, seeing the confused look on Calypso's face. "You sent them the wrong way, they realized it and got a little peeved. So to vent their anger, they decided to blow up the shopping district of Peachgrove Village on a Saturday morning and kill a few hundred muggles and hopefully, intimidate us." He said wryly. "Didn't quite work to plan, though. You called in that bomb threat, and they evacuated the place in time. Only nine muggles, six of them policemen, died. Sixty-eight were injured though." He added grimly. "When I heard at work that the department for Magical Catastrophes lot were setting off to Peachgrove Village pronto, well, I hitched a ride and found you and Snuffles unconscious in the alley. I got you shipped off to St. Mungos, and took Snuffles home."  
  
"Hate to interrupt again, but how is Snuffles?"  
  
Remus smiled. "Fine. He was only concussed in the explosion, because he never hit the fence like you did. He hit you instead. So he's fine. He broke a couple of your ribs, I hear." He added jovially.   
  
"Hmmmmm.........he'll pay......." Calypso grumbled under her breath, rubbing her ribcage.  
  
"Calypso, how did you know that the Village was about to be attacked?" asked Dumbledore quietly. He had been silent up to now, listening carefully to the conversation.  
  
"Had a vision at the Checkouts" Calypso said offhandedly. "Actually....how the hell do you know that it was me that phoned in the bomb threat? She accused, looking at Dumbledore suspiciously.  
  
"As you may have realized, Snuffles is a very...erm...unique dog. I can..." Remus started to speak  
  
"Oh, don't tell me, Snuffles talks as well!" cut in Calypso, exasperated  
  
"No, through a spell only." Corrected Remus gently.   
  
"Hmph." Was all Calypso had to say about that.   
  
"So what did your vision entail?" asked Dumbledore again in a soft voice.  
  
Calypso explained in vivid detail what she had seen, and then roughly described what had happened next.  
  
Dumbledore and Remus both sat back and thought for a few seconds. Calypso took the opportunity to look into Dumbledore's eyes. They were, to anyone else, just cool blue, icy eyes. But Calypso saw further.  
He was old and tired, yet still fighting strong. Wisdom, talent. A humanitarian. Kind, caring, lonely. Worried, overworked, stressed, responsible, trustworthy......Calypso had only begun to look hard when Dumbledore snapped his head around and broke contact.   
  
"What happened here at the Hospital this morning?" he asked.  
  
Calypso blushed beet red again and grimaced.   
  
"I had a dream......" she said, and recounted her tale. "...and then everyone started yelling and stuff, and a nurse dragged me into another room, and, well, here I am." She concluded.  
  
"Rastafarian monkeys? Whaa?" exclaimed Remus  
  
Dumbledore looked confused.  
"I must admit, I do not understand..."  
  
Calypso cut them off. "Some of my dreams are more figurative than literal. I don't think there really was a dreadlocked monkey jumping in that man's chest, it was just a sorta poetic interpretation if you get what I'm going on about."  
  
Dumbledore made a little 'ahhah' noise and Remus leaned back on his chair.  
  
"Regardless, you saved Mundungus's life."  
  
"Who?" asked Calypso, laughing. "Mundungus?"  
  
"Mundungus Fletcher. An old friend of mine, and a member of the League." Said Dumbledore softly.  
  
"You wizards have such funny names - Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Mundungus Fletcher, Dr Cortex the brain surgeon.... Can't say I can talk, with a name like Calypso.....anyway, what kind of curse was that on him?"  
  
"We don't know" said Remus tersely.   
  
There was a few moment's silence.   
  
"Remus said you were a true seer" said Dumbledore, breaking the silence.  
  
"You betcha." Agreed Calypso.  
  
Remus gave Dumbledore another one of those looks.   
  
"Calypso, I'll make this brief. At the moment, we are loosing the battle against Voldemort. They are one jump ahead of us. What...."  
  
Calypso interrupted again.   
"Oh let me guess, you want me to be your little pet seer and tell you all about the future and make you win. Sorry honey, I don't think so. I'm not a pawn. It doesn't work like that. I don't take sides, and I don't screw with the future. If you are going to loose, even if you are the 'good guys', I'm not going to change that. Unless I have dreams or prophecies, I'm not doing jack." She spat, voice dripping with restrained anger.  
  
Remus looked shocked, and Dumbledore suddenly looked very tired.  
  
"Well, it was worth a try..." he started.  
  
Suddenly in the back of Calypso's head, there was a little voice that piped up.  
Bitch, it said clearly.  
Stop being a stubborn little hormone-charged cow and help them, dipshit.  
  
"AAAARUGH!" yelled Calypso suddenly, making Remus jump. "I thought I got rid of that fucking buzz!"  
  
God you are stubborn, it said. You want a vision, here's a vision.   
Calypso's eyes drooped and her head fell with a resounding smack onto the polished wooden table, making the candelabras above rattle.   
  
Calypso was sitting in a room - someone's lounge/dining room/kitchen. There was a large table in the middle, and there were about sixteen people seated around it, including herself. She was holding a clipboard, and a feather quill. Looking up, she could see Dumbledore speaking, but could hear nothing.  
  
She opened her eyes to see his half-moon spectacles only an inch away from her nose and a rough beard tickling her chin.  
  
"Woah. That was trippy." She said quietly.  
  
"You okay?" said Remus, concerned.  
  
"Urgh, yeah, fine, just a little nauseous." She replied as Dumbledore sat her up. He looked straight into her eyes.   
  
"What was that?" he asked sternly.   
  
Calypso blinked.   
"A vision - a very strange one at that. I think the buzz gave it to me." She said in a wavering voice. "I was in the living room of someone's house, and you were there and you too," looking at Dumbledore and then Remus, " and there were all these other people."  
  
"What did the other people look like?" asked Remus gently.  
  
Calypso screwed up her eyes.   
"An old lady with glasses and her hair in a bun, two guys with shocker red hair - one was balding and the other looked like a punk, umm...a sallow-faced guy with shoulder-length black hair, a guy with a scrubby brown beard, a really old lady with heaps of wrinkles and a walking stick....and some others. Do you know them?" she asked.  
  
Remus gave a smile. "I think you just described Minerva McGonagall, Arthur Weasly, Bill Weasly, Severus Snape, Amos Diggory and Arabella Figg.  
  
Calypso gave him a blank stare.   
  
"I think you saw out next League meeting." Said Dumbledore gently, with a smile. "And since you were in it, I have a feeling that that was the vision you just declared that you would need to have before you would join us."  
  
Calypso blinked a few times, and then gave a growl and smacked her head hard.   
  
"What are you doing that for?" cried Lupin.  
  
"Bloody buzz. And now it has a voice, so it's verbally abusing me as well." She grumbled.  
  
"Calypso, how old are you?" asked Dumbledore suddenly.  
  
"Eighteen" replied Calypso, surprised.   
  
"Will it be a problem getting in contact with your parents?"  
  
"Hell yes. They're six feet under. I would deem that a problem." She said, unruffled.  
  
Dumbledore was momentarily flustered. "Do you have any family then?" he asked   
  
Calypso nodded. "I have two sisters -we're triplets, actually. My sister Melody is blind, and Aria has Down's Syndrome. They always had problems finding us foster homes - I mean, who wants to take in a blind girl, an intellectually disabled girl, and me, who had 'epilepsy'?" Calypso regretted saying the words as soon as they had left her mouth. Shouldn't get them mixed up in this, she thought. Shut your mouth girl.   
  
"Oh. I'm sorry" he said, and did look sorry for her, which annoyed Calypso.  
  
"Why should you be? I have the greatest sisters in the whole wide world, blind and disabled as they are. I couldn't have picked better mates if I had tried" she said tartly.  
  
Dumbledore looked uncomfortable, and cleared his throat. "Well, you are no longer a ward of the state, so that's what matters. I hereby officially extend to you the formal offer to join the League against the Dark Arts."  
  
Calypso turned to look at Remus.   
  
"I 'spose this is when I graciously accept." She said.  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"One problem." She said.  
  
"What?" said Remus, surprised.  
  
"It's too easy. Nothing in life comes easy, and this is too easy. I've been in England for all of a week, and you're offering me a job. You know there's something 'dark' in my past, bad enough to get me banned from being a Witch, and you don't even seem to care. You're mad. You don't know anything at all about me. Hell, Calypso Grey might not be my real name, sweets. I could be a Death Eater drinking Polyjuice Potion for all you know. It's crazy. And I don't have anywhere to stay." She added.   
  
'Stay with me. I get a bit lonely just with me and my dog." Offered Remus kindly.  
  
Calypso grinned, and her insides leapt for joy.   
"R...really? You don't mind?" she stuttered.  
  
Remus smiled back.  
"Not at all."  
  
Dumbledore spoke up quietly.  
"Whatever you did to get banished is your own personal business. Your credentials are your achievements in the past few days, Calypso. We have ways, now, to weed out Polyjuice Drinkers, so that's not an issue. And to be frightfully honest, we are desperate."  
  
Calypso looked back at Dumbledore and his eyes. Looking back into them, at length, she relented.  
  
"Okay then. I hereby formally accept to being your pet seer. But I don't do tarot card readings for amusement, and I won't read palms during coffee breaks, okay?"  
  
Dumbledore have her a brilliant smile and Remus reached over and squeezed her hand.   
  
Calypso seemed dazed. A sudden thought occurred to her.  
"Erm, hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly does this League do?"  
  
Dumbledore blinked.  
"Oh...we take up the role of Aurors, since the Ministry hasn't officially declared that Voldemort has risen, they only have three official ones. That's what Fudge was doing in here before - I was trying to convince him to make it public. These rumors flying around only spread the panic." He sighed, and took off his spectacles and started cleaning them on the edge of his robes, while staring at the ceiling.   
  
"I know this must sound stupid, but what are Aurors?"  
  
Remus answered her question this time, as Dumbledore was lost in a melancholy world of his own.  
"Aurors are Dark Wizard catchers. In a nutshell, the League works against Voldemort, protecting people, muggles and wizards, and undermining his efforts. We call ourselves Phoenixes. At the moment, though, we are struggling just to protect ourselves." He added glumly. "Can you see why we need you so much?"  
  
Calypso shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  
  
Dumbledore had snapped out of his solitary daydream and turned to face Remus.  
  
"When is the next meeting scheduled?" he asked.  
  
Remus racked his brains.  
  
"Thursday night, Maria's house in Diagon Alley."   
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Good time for Calypso to meet the rest of the crowd. I'll see you there." Blue eyes were lost in a thoughtful mist.  
  
Remus and Calypso took that as a farewell, and with a nod, got up out of their chairs and walked towards the end of the study. Remus had his hand on the doorhandle when Dumbledore spoke up again.  
  
"Calypso..."  
  
Calypso turned around and looked at the thoughtful old man sitting at the other end of the Gothic study. He looked familiar. Very familiar. Where had she seen him?  
  
"Calypso, would you be able to write down any visions or dreams that you have in a book somewhere? Even little things you may think are insignificant may be highly relevant to us."  
  
"One step ahead of you, mate. I already have a book of dreams. But I'll keep updating it for you. Actually....I'll check out all the dreams and stuff I had since Voldemort rose. See if anything interesting turns up." She suggested helpfully.  
  
Dumbledore gave her another brilliant smile, and it seemed to Calypso that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders since she had agreed to join the League.  
  
"I can't promise anything though, Div is like that, and I only usually have about one vision or dream a week on average. Dunno what's going on at the mo."  
  
"See you on Thursday." Dumbledore said finally.  
  
  
Outside the study, Calypso squinted in the bright light of the waiting room. It was much brighter in there than in the delightfully mellow lighting of the study. And much hotter, too. Calypso concluded that there were a lot of parallels in muggle hospitals and in wizard hospitals, from the nightgowns to the sheets to the lino, and to the crappy architecture of the general wards and the opulence of the Director's wing.  
When her eyes were used to the light, she could see the bubbly little nurse sitting on one of the seats engrossed in what looked like a dog-eared Mills and Boon.  
  
"Dot! Good to see you!" exclaimed Remus.  
  
The nurse wrenched herself away from her paperback and met Remus's eyes  
  
"Golly, Remus Lupin! Have you aged well or what! A few streaks of grey I see though....that Maria's doing?" she said joyfully.  
  
The two lapsed into what promised to be a lengthy reunion, and Calypso took a chair. Bored, she began toying with her hair, and quickly discovered when she picked up a strand or bunch of hair and twisted, pulled or twirled it, upon dropping it the hair would always fall back onto its place perfectly. Amazed, she scrubbed her fingers through her hair and watched and blonde strands floated back into a tidy silken river running down her back to her shoulder blades. It looked, Calypso thought in amazement, like it had just been brushed. Cool. Wish I was a witch and did this sort of stuff, she thought longingly.  
She suddenly felt very depressed and tired and homesick. Homesick? She though. I'm eighteen, and I'm feeling homesick? God, grow up girl.  
To take her mind off thoughts of home, she picked up the Mills and Boon that Nurse Dot had dropped. Entitled 'Brittle Bondage' and with a moving picture of two people (that you couldn't see due to all the steam) on the cover, Calypso started reading as Dot and Remus yabbered away happily.  
  
Calypso had reached chapter seven, where the haughty, beautiful, yet troubled witch had just met the spunky, rich, sensitive wizard and brushed him off for the first time, when a small owl flew out of the ceiling and landed on the arm of Dot's chair, hooting softly. Dot broke off in the middle of her sentence and plucking the note from the owl's leg, quickly scanned it.  
  
"Ooh, new admissions for Ward Three. Gotta run."   
She got up and gave Remus a hug.  
"Lovley seeing you again, though, Remus. Call by again some time, won't you?"   
"I will be around a bit - when does Calypso get discharged?"  
Dot shrugged.   
"Today is Sunday, she should be out by Tuesday, Monday maybe if nothing goes wrong. I'll keep you informed. You still live at your parent's old place?"  
Remus nodded.  
"Great then!" she said brightly. "You..." gesturing towards Calypso, "Come with me, love."  
  
Following Dot obediently down the corridors, Calypso thought about what she had just done. Her motto was never to take sides, and thanks to the buzz, she was now aligned with the League. Not that it was a bad thing - the League members were obviously the 'good guys' and fighting against Voldemort sounded like a morally good thing to do. And being a Phoenix sounded cool. Something told her that she couldn't be a neutral party in this struggle. Not this time. But still she felt uncomfortable. Why? She asked herself. Stupid, a few days ago you were lost and miserable and now you have a job and a place to stay. You are working with Albus Dumbledore for God's sake! And Remus is sweet. You have saved countless lives. They want you, and need you. What more could you ask for?  
My friends, she replied. Suddenly it hit her like a sack of wet sand in the pit of her stomach. She was lonely. Incredibly lonely. She missed her sisters and her foster brothers and sisters. God, three months was a long time to be on your own. She had always craved time be herself - she had often spent weeks with only her horse and her dog up in the ranges - but it was different now. A lone wolf, they had teased her, when she returned. But even a lone wolf longs to run with a pack.  
  
Caught up in her thoughts, she walked straight into Dot's back when she stopped unannounced.   
  
"Oof! Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was go....." she started apologetically.  
  
But Dot would hear none of it, and shooed her into the ward and her bed.   
  
"Just go to sleep dear. I'll be back tomorrow. So will Dr. Cortex." And with a wink, she had scurried out of the ward again before Calypso could open her mouth.   
Sitting in her squeaky hospital bed, surrounded by rows of other identical beds and muted explosions coming from the other end of the ward, Calypso could not go to sleep. She looked around instead.   
About half of the beds were filled with patients, aged from three to eighty-three. Over the aisle from her was a sleeping five-year old, with his exhausted mother slumped over the end of the bed, fast asleep also, her pointed hat askew and her mouth open, snoring lightly.   
In the bed next to Calypso was a grumpy old warlock who was reading a newspaper and completely ignoring everyone else. The bed on the other side was empty.  
Leaning forward, she looked for the source of the explosions. It was from two twelve-year old kids playing a game of snap on the trolley between their beds. With every 'snap' there was a small explosion, which rattled the trolley. And the nerves of the witch in the bed opposite them, going by the evil expression she flashed at them over the top of her magazine.  
Calypso was bored. She had nothing except her robes, and they didn't make very interesting reading. Plucking up her courage, she turned to the grumpy looking wizard in the bed next to her and asked politely if she could read the newspaper after he had finished with it. To her surprise, he pulled his face into a smile of sorts and gave her the front section.  
Plumping up her rock-solid pillows and stacking them behind her back, Calypso shook out the front page to see a huge, moving photograph of what was left of Peachgrove Village, and the image of the skull in the sky above.  
"DEATH EATERS STRIKE VILLAGE?" screamed the headline.   
  
"Yesterday morning at 11.52AM, the isolated muggle township of Peachgrove Village was partially destroyed by a fierce magical explosion centered over the shopping district. Witnesses say that the explosion was brief but intense, and afterwards the Dark Mark was seen in the air over the center of the blast.   
The Daily Prophet reports that muggle investigators believe that this was an IRA bomb, as a bomb threat was apparently called in twenty minutes before the explosion. This allowed muggle law enforcement people to evacuate the area, a move that probably kept the causalties down to the eight reported dead so far. Over eighty are reported injured, and with some in critical condition at muggle hospitals, the death toll is likley to rise. No magical peoples are reported injured.  
This case if baffling the Department for Magical Catastrophes, who claim that while the explosion was defiantly magical, there was indeed a bomb threat. "We are definitely confused. This is a rather remarkable case." Said Department head Graham Lawton. "The attack was carried out at a time when there were the most people in the vicinity, Sunday morning market day, so the aim was definitely to kill - then why ring in a bomb threat and save everyone?"  
You Daily Prophet reporter wonders if there is a mole in the newly-resurrected Death Eater society. If that is the case, why the warning?  
The Death Eaters have been most active ever since their first showing at the Quiddich World Cup where they restricted their magic merely to tormenting muggles and shooting the Dark Mark into the sky. Yet, in the past few weeks, they have become much more cocky......"  
  
The article continued in this vein for some time, low on facts and high in opinion. It continued onto page five, and linked to a small article on page thirty-three in the Muggle section about the new cracks in the Northern Ireland peace process.  
  
Calypso breathed a sigh of relief. There was no mention of her in the whole article. She looked up and leant forward to see down to the end of the ward and out the window. The sky was sapphire-blue and there was only a few stringy clouds in the sky. Calypso flopped back onto her bed. Stuck in hospital when the weather outside was perfect!  
  
By dinnertime, Calypso had read all of the other patient's newspapers, books, and magazines, and had played fourteen rounds of Exploding Snap with the twelve-year olds, loosing nine. When the dinner trolley arrived, pushed by a glum looking nurse in pastel green robes, Calypso was starving. She jumped back into bed and awaited her plate eagerly. When it was dumped onto her lap, Calypso sniffed it cautiously. It was, according to the nurse, 'Beef Rissoles with Cheesy Potato bake' but it looked like baby vomit to Calypso. And smelt like it. Still, she was starving and so reluctantly shoveled it down her throat before the taste could catch up with her, copying the rest of the patients in the ward. Again, Calypso marveled at the parallels between the muggle and wizarding hospitals. Even the food is crappy.  
At least they can't ruin jelly and icecream, she thought positively when dessert was brought around.  
Lights went out at half past eight, to Calypso's horror.   
Oh well, she thought, at least I don't have to make polite conversation with the other patients any more. She lay down in her creaky bed and moved around, trying to find a comfy spot, but only succeeded in making the bed graunch and moan. Sighing, she tried to go to sleep.  
  
  
The next morning, Calypso was humming as she strolled down the corridors. She had seen the brain specialist, who gave her a clean bill of health, and gave instructions for her discharge. She had nothing to pack, and never bothered returning to the ward. She went straight to the reception, and asked the red-robed receptionist if she could get in touch with Dot. The receptionist nodded, short brown hair swishing, and obtained a small owl to fetch Dot, who turned up within three minutes, as rosy as ever.   
  
"Morning, dear? Feeling better?"  
  
"Yeah, fine thanks Dot. Look, I was wondering if you knew where I could get in touch with Remus Lupin....."  
  
Dot cut her off.  
"He's stopping by at noon to pick you up."  
  
Calypso looked momentarily flustered.  
"Oh. It's nine fifteen now, what am I going to do till then?"  
  
Dot sucked her lip, thinking.  
"You any good at potion brewing?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
Calypso nodded.  
  
Dot beamed at her.   
"Excellent, we are all a bit rushed here, and we are short on some essential potions. Mind helping?"  
  
So Calypso found herself out the back of the vast marble dispensary, surrounded by herbs, liquids, dissected animals, powders and minerals and four enormous cauldrons, brewing simultaneously, Pepperup potion, Dreamless Sleep Potion, Burn Cream and Skele-grow.  
  
She was just lifting the Burn Cream off the fire to stir it again when Remus walked in the door.  
  
"Oh hi. Give me 10, will ya, and these will be ready." she said over her shoulder, and stirred the thick blue muck in the cauldron.  
  
Remus walked over to stand beside her.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Brewing Burn Cream, Dreamless Sleep Potion..." pointing to a clear, bubbling liquid in another cauldron sitting over the fire, "...Skele-grow..." pointing to the cauldron sitting on the bench filled with a dull green slop, "...and Pepperup Potion." nodding her head towards the final cauldron, which was filled with a watery red liquid, boiling and churning even though it was no longer over the fire.  
  
Remus raised his eyebrows.  
"I'm impressed."  
  
Calypso grinned like a Cheshire Cat.  
"Told ya I was good at Potions." she said proudly.  
  
At that moment, Dot walked into the brewerey and upon seeing the potions, exclaimed with delight.  
"Brill! That's just great darl! Here, I'll take over - what have you got left to do?"  
  
"The Burn Cream is almost read, it just needs another five minutes over heat, the beetle's eyes need adding, and a bit more stirring. The others are done. Oh, I increased the concentration of the Dreamless Sleep Potion three fold, so when you activate it with rosewater, you need to use a third less. And a third less when you use the cream as well." She leant over the cauldron she was stirring and peered at the contents. "The Burn Cream is a bit runny, I'd add a touch more Dandelions. But then it needs a good beating if you want a smooth consistency."  
  
Dot grabbed the stirring rod and poked the cream experimentally.   
"Hmm...yes, it is a little on the runny side. Still, it'll be fine. Thanks awfully!"  
  
Dot suddenly gave Calypso a huge bear-hug.  
"Stay out of trouble, won't you? And come and visit sometime. You too, Remus." she added.  
  
Strangely touched, Calypso found herself agreeing to visit. Remus, too, was given a hug before being shooed out of the lab and down the hallway towards the entrance.  
  
"Thanks for coming to get me, Remus."  
  
"Think nothing of it. And how else would you get back?" he said  
  
Calypso suddenly gave a start. "Erm, Remus...."  
  
Remus gave her an unconcerned glance. "Yes?"  
  
"How are we going to get back? I mean, I can't apparate, and I can't go on muggle transport dressed like this...." she gestured dramatically to her creased navy-blue hospital robes, and her tramping boots showing underneath.  
  
Remus gave a little smile. "Don't worry, I thought of that." he said as they pushed open the swinging doors that led to the reception. Calypso guiltily noticed a burn mark where a stunner had hit the door. Remus walked over to the long, horseshoe shaped reception desk and exchanged words with a receptionist. The man ducked behind the desk and came up holding two broomsticks. Remus took them and walked back over to Calypso, who was looking up at the owls circling overhead.  
  
Remus tapped Calypso on the arm, and handed a broomstick to her when she took her attention away from the feathered messengers.  
  
"Umm..is this a broomstick?" she asked hesitantly  
  
Remus gave her a patronizing look. "Yes, of course it is. We're going to fly home." he replied, and started walking out of the great swinging doors to the road outside. Calypso stood with the broomstick awkwardly in one hand, before scurrying after Remus through the doors.  
  
Outside, Calypso found herself standing at the edge of a street. Like in the lane, no-one looked at her at all. A truck went rattling by, and a woman with two small children trotted past. No-one spared a glance towards the hospital. Calypso suddenly realized that she couldn't see Remus.   
"Up here!" a voice called.   
Calypso turned around, to see Remus walking up a ramp to the top of the hospital. Broomstick in hand, she hurried after him, still checking out her surroundings.   
She reached the top, and glanced around. They were standing on the roof of the hospital, and there was a large flat area in the middle of the uneven, sloping roofs with a large 'H' in glowing red paint marked out. Remus was standing there, leaning on his broomstick.  
  
"Uhh...Remus, I think we have a problem." Calypso called out.  
  
Remus glanced at her, suprised. "What?"  
  
"I don't know how to ride a broomstick." she said apologetically.  
  
Remus froze for a few seconds. "Oh." He tapped his foot, thinking hard.  
"I'll teach you - it's quite easy really."  
Calypso didn't share his enthusiasm.  
"Yeah, I'm sure it's just like riding a bicycle. Easy when you know how." She grumbled  
  
Remus beckoned her over, and Calypso trotted over. He took her broom and swapped it with the one he was holding.   
"Erm....you can fly the Comet 220, it's a bit more sedate, and I'll take the Lightningbolt. Right, listen up, lessons begin now. Put your broom on the ground, parallel with your body. No, the other way. To your left. No, your other left. That's it. Okay, put your hand out over it and say 'up' in a commanding sort of tone."  
  
Calypso gave Remus a skeptical look.  
"This really works?" she asked.  
"Won't know till you have tried it, will you now? Just trust me." He replied.  
  
"Up!" Calypso declared imperiously. To her great surprise, the broom leapt off the ground to hover waist high at her side.  
"Hey hey! Cool!"  
  
'Now, throw one leg over your broom. No, you're sitting the wrong way around," Remus told her, smothering a laugh, "you want to face the open end of the broom, not the end with the bristles."  
  
Grimacing, Calypso turned around.   
"Yieke! What a wedgie! How can you stand this?"  
  
"Grip with your knees, and it'll all be right." Remus was now struggling to keep a straight face.  
With a pained expression, Calypso dutifully did as she was told, and to her amazement, found herself floating just above the broomstick.  
"Hey! My arse isn't even touching the broom! You know, this is kind of comfy, floating in mid air." She remarked  
  
Remus shook his head, grey-flecked hair swirling, trying to disguise the smile on his face.  
"Okay, you need to adjust your grip. Are you right or left handed? Then have this hand in front, thumb on top, pointing parallel with the broom, and your other hand below it... that's it...put that thumb in the palm of your other hand, and link your top hand pinky with your bottom hand index...yeah, like that." He lectured while manipulating her fingers.  
  
Calypso looked at her hands.   
"It's just a Golf Club grip, isn't it?" she remarked observantly.  
  
"What's a Golf Club?" Remus asked.  
  
Calypso gave him an amused smile. "Don't worry."  
  
Remus jumped on his broom in one fluid movement.   
"Right, now, flying is easy. If you want to go left, lean left and pull the broom over. To go right, same thing. Down, dip the end of the broom down, and up, lift it higher. Speed depends on where you have your hands, and how far forward you are leaning. Further forward you have your hands and body, faster you go. Got that?" he lectured.  
  
Calypso nodded.   
  
"You don't need to grip with your knees all the time - it gets quite tiring after a while. But you need to keep a leg on each side of the broom at all times, and either grip with your knees, or, hold on with your hands, or both. But never do neither, or you'll fall out of the sky like a rock."  
  
"Check."  
  
"Right, give it a go. Just around the roof here where no-one can see you. Take it nice and slow."  
  
Calypso took a deep breath, concentrated hard, and flew jerkily around the rooftops.  
  
"Smoothly!" yelled Remus "You want to make all your actions gradual and smooth!"  
  
"Jeez, I didn't know you could bunnyhop broomsticks as well as cars." She remarked upon returning.   
  
After four circuits of the roof, the last one relatively smooth, Remus decided to take it the next step.  
  
"A bit higher now, I think. Don't worry, all broomsticks are bespelled to make any muggle look away from them. No-one will see you." He told her, rising a few stories high on his own broomstick.  
  
Calypso, biting the inside of her cheek firmly with concentration, tilted the end of her Comet up and slowly rose until she was even with Remus, and gave him a toothy grin. He gave her an equally toothy smile back.   
  
"You're doing great. C'mon, this way." And shot off up higher and to the left, Calypso hesitantly following.  
  
Calypso gave a yell of delight as they sped over the top of the large metropolitan sprawl. Streets and buildings flashed underneath her feet, and people were small figurines running around like ants. They ducked between skyscrapers and weaved in and out of church steeples. Calypso put on an extra spurt of speed and caught up to Remus.  
  
"What city is this?" she asked breathlessly  
  
"London" he replied.   
  
"Wow" she said, visibly impressed. They were now crossing a large park, filled with lakes, huge trees and walking tracks. It was all a blur of greenery from above, though, as the pair on broomsticks zoomed past.   
  
"WATCH OUT FOR THE BIRD!" Remus yelled suddenly.  
  
Flicking her head up, Calypso ducked to the right, missing the pigeon by inches.  
  
"Oops." She said, cringing. "Should pay more attention to where we are headed, not what we are passing over, shouldn't I?"  
  
Remus gave a half-smile. "It's okay, you do some touristy geezing, I'll keep an eye on the sky. You got to watch out for birds, though. Deadly they are. We are crossing Hyde Park, by the way."  
  
"Oh wow. I always wanted to go there." She said, blinking. "You know, goggles would be a good accessory on broomsticks. And I should stop grinning like a maniac, I'm getting bugs in my teeth."  
  
Remus snorted with laughter.  
  
Flashing past high-rises, over soccer grounds and streets jam-packed with cars, parks and gardens, with her robes flapping like a flag and her hair streaming out behind her like a banner, Calypso felt her heart soar.   
She couldn't repress the joy and adrenaline that came bubbling up from her shoes to the top of her head, and let it out in one loud, spontaneous Xena-yodel, that startled Remus to the point that he nearly fell off his broom.  
  
"Sorry, " she said, laughing, "couldn't help it."  
  
"It's fine," he replied dryly, when he had straightened himself up again, "just next time, give me a warning, okay?"  
  
They flew for hours, sky crystalline blue above, sun sparkling, as the landscape below slowly changed from densely packed to urban sprawl, gradually dissipating into lifestyle blocks, then rolling farmland, then forest, and farmland again. They passed over numerous villages, quaint cottages buried in the hillsides under trees, and Calypso delighted in seeing the fields laid out like a patchwork quilt, multicolored and pieced together randomly. Some were red, others brown, or yellow, or green, and some were polka-dotted white with sheep. With no skyscrapers to dodge, they went faster, so fast that Calypso's hair was slicked straight back and she was sure her boots would be ripped off if she wasn't careful.  
She was actually quite disappointed when Remus began dropping in altitude. She was having so much fun, she could have flown to the moon and back and still flown more. Well, maybe now quite to the moon, but a bit longer at least, she thought ruefully.  
Calypso tilted her broom downwards, and dropped with gracefully. She could spot the rust-colored house in the distance, and suddenly felt happy, like she was returning home. Then a sudden thought struck her square in the stomach.  
  
"Eeek! Remus, how do you land?!" she yelled frantically as they raced along the road, a few meters above the surface.  
  
Remus twisted around on his broomstick.  
"Oh cripes, I forgot about that. Just get gradually slower and lower until when you come to a complete stop you are at ground level, okay?"  
  
Calypso gave him a panicked smile, and started slowing - nice and smoothly, she thought to herself, pleased. Unfortunately, she was dropping too fast, and hit the gravel surface of the road at a considerable speed. Clutching onto the broomstick for dear life, she braced her legs, trying to slow down as if she was on a bike with no brakes. She skidded across the road, loose metal spraying out from under her boots. She eventually came to a staggering halt, and, overbalancing, promptly fell over on an ungracious, sprawled heap of blonde hair, navy robes and sunburnt limbs. She struggled to her feet, and brushed off her robes. She felt a great deal of déjà vu, at the same time noticing that the hospital staff had healed her grazes. Looking up, she enviously saw Remus make a graceful decent to land as lightly as a feather on his front lawn. Heart still pounding, she picked up her broomstick and walked up the path to the house.  
  
"Gotta work on that landing, aye?" she said as she approached Remus.  
  
"It wasn't too bad, I've seen worse. You didn't crash into anything, or break any bones and the broomstick is still intact." He told her, matter-of-factly.  
  
"But wow, that was so cool! Holy shit, it was just....." she groped for words, "...cool!"  
  
Remus smiled, and turned his head towards the house.  
"Hark, do I hear an angel?" he quipped.  
"No, just Snuffles." Calypso replied dourly, as she heard barking came from the back of the house, and the huge, shaggy black dog came bounding into view. Snuffles galloped though the long, wild grass and, still at a run, leapt and tackled Calypso, knocking her onto her back. Rolling over, she expertly pinned him and started ruffling up his fur as he thrashed around desperately.   
"You owe me two broken ribs, pup, and I intend to have revenge!" she declared menacingly.   
Remus was laughing.   
"I really need a photo of this. Really." He managed to say between laughs.  
Snuffles seemed to take offense at this, and haughtily got up and stalked away, leaving a bemused Calypso on the ground.  
  
"Personal joke, I guess?" she said dryly.  
Remus, who was still laughing, nodded, and started walking inside.  
  
"Uhhh...Remus?"  
He turned around.  
"Can I just goof around on a broom for a while? I 'spose the novelty will wear off after a while, but....." she gave an impish grin.  
  
Snuffles barked and stared at Remus, who sighed.  
"Where on earth do you get your energy from? Personally, I'm exhausted."  
"Being cooped up in a hospital for days on end" she replied melodramatically.  
Remus looked thoughtful for a few seconds.  
"Yeah sure, just make sure you take the Comet 220 and not the Lightningbolt."  
"Why? They look the same." Questioned Calypso.  
"The Comet is a good broom - actually it was a really good broom when I brought it. But when the Lightningbolt was new, it was top-of-the-line. You couldn't get better. It's really powerful. International standard. And what's more, it's not mine. So use the Comet, and it'll be fine." He said, tiredly.  
  
Calypso grinned, and grabbed the Comet.  
"I'll be back for dinner." She promised before scurrying off, clicking her heels with joy.  
  
  
Hey, I have almost finished my next chapter (I'm on holiday) and I'll post it before Christmas,(my xmas present to the world) but I really need a really harsh beta-reader.   
Due to my browser (apparently) I can't get into Writer's U, and I am desperately seeking someone who would like to pick holes in my fics - someone really nasty and finicky. People are usually too nice!!!!!   
So mail me if you want to. But you have to be really harsh. I need constructive criticism!   
  
  
So, well, you know the drill. I would really really love you to review, because, not joking, I hang onto every word you write. So send a ray of sunshine into my day, please please please! I do my best to read people's fics that review mine, so look out. So, brighten my (summer) day, and write a few words!!!! But I do prefer paragraphs. THANK YOU!!!!!!  
And if you don't read my next part, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  
  



	6. Default Chapter Title

*Hello one and all! 'Tiz the season to be jolly, so here is my christmas present to you all. And guess what, it didn't cost me anything. (!!!)

I finally got me a beta-reader to korrekt me terryble punktuawtyn and graymmer.

So take a virtual bow, Allylupin! 

Sheez, the things you do and don't realise until your reader tells you – like spell Snuffles SUNffles and rip off other people's names unintentionally and change tenses etc etc etc. So thankyou thankyou Ally! And I am sure the readers will be thanking you as well.

While I am thanking people, THANK YOU to all the people who reviewed and the people who wished me well in the Calc stuff. I am obsessed by reviews, they really mean a lot to me. Hint hint. An extra-special Merry Christmas to yous.

Oh yeah, this chapter has excessive swearing etc, and scenes that may disturb. So if you happen to come to anything you don't like, bite my ass, close your eyes and scroll down. I know that sounds silly, but some people get offended by minor things...

Just to gloat to all you Northern Hemisphere people, it's summer down here and I'm going camping at the beach tomorrow until christmas eve. Aaah, this is the life. Secluded beaches, great waves, sunny days – I am guaranteed to get sunburn and a wicked tan line. Well anyway, enough gloating, on with the story.

Discalimer – All JK's stuff belongs to her. Anything else belongs to me.

**********

Wow, chapter six and I still don't have a plotline! That has to be a record!

**********

When she finally returned after two hours of loop-the-loops and dives and general airborne antics, it was nearly six, but the sun was still high overhead. Broom in hand, she trotted up the front steps, face shining, wondering what was for tea. She also mentally reminded herself to ask if Remus had any burn cream (for she was quite severely sunburnt) and if he had anything to get grass stains out of robes. She was rubbing one such stain thoughtfully as she propped the broomstick up against the wall in the hallway and thought about the numerous crashes that had caused them. She unlaced her boots, which was quite a mission, when you are pumped full of adrenaline and your fingers aren't co-operating. 

She finally managed to kick them off and walked into the house to find Remus or Snuffles. She eventually found them both in the kitchen, asleep.

Remus was stretched out on the windowseat, a book lying absently on the floor beside him. The golden light played over his sleeping face, highlighting the premature gray streaks in his hair and his tired features. 

On the other windowseat was Snuffles, who was sprawled ungracefully out, lapping up the sun, stomach stretched to the sky. Calypso smiled, and crept over to Fridge and slowly opened the door.

"Oooh hello! You're back are you!" Fridge whispered.

"Nice to see you too, Fridge. How's things going here?" she whispered back

"Well, Pantry isn't sulking anymore, so Remus was actually able to make a dinner tonight. Apart from that, nothing has really happened. I'd suggest you stay away from Pantry, though. I don't think she likes you very much." Fridge murmured confidentially. 

"I had noticed" Calypso whispered dryly.

"Heard that!" came from the direction of Pantry, in an undertone that did not conceal the anger behind it.

"You missed dinner, so it's in me keeping cold." Fridge whispered back. 

Calypso gave Fridge a sweet smile. "Thanks" she murmured and picked up a plate that contained a salad.

"It's Cajun Chicken Salad." Fridge whispered. 

"Oh yumm!"

"Hope it burns your mouth." Hissed Pantry vindictively

"And I still have some Chocolate mousse if you want some afterwards" Fridge added bashfully.

Calypso grinned.

She sat up at the table and started eating the salad. By the time she was halfway through, though, Calypso was sure Pantry had doctored it. Her eyes were watering and her nose was running like a tap, and her mouth...oh her mouth. . Her tounge was seared - she thought it felt like the Cajun spice was eating into the very bone of her jaw. 

Apart from that it was good Cajun Chicken Salad.

She had to jump up from the table and rush over to the sink, and drink noisily out of the tap. She heard Pantry creak satisfactorily. Bitch, Calypso though. This is war. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Snuffles open one eye, and look at her, obviously amused. Calypso knew no other dog that could grin quite like Snuffles. She glared at him, still running water over her burning tongue. Still, when her mouth felt normal again, she went and obstinately finished off the last of the salad, just to prove something to Pantry, and had to repeat her performance at the sink, much to Snuffles delight, who started wheezing with laughter.

When she was done, she dumped her plate with the rest of them stacked up in the sink (yes, defiantly a bachelor pad), went into her room and knelt down beside her pack. Opening it, she rummaged around until she came across a large, hard book. Dragging it out, Calypso fondly stroked its woven flax cover, marveling at the way the light played across its surface. She got up, and tiptoed back to the kitchen. She paused in the doorway, and looked at Remus sleeping on the windowseat. Turning around, she went back down the hallway and dragged the top blanket off Remus's bed. Returning to the kitchen, she carefully covered the blissfully sleeping Remus with it. He gave a little frown as the blanket touched him, but then snuggled in closer to it. Calypso stood back, smiled. There was some sort of emotion running around in her heart, but she couldn't identify quite what it was. Suddenly, spontaneously, she leant forward and brushed his gray-flecked hair out of his eyes, and gave him a light kiss on his forehead. 

He didn't even blink.

Calypso smiled and walked over to Fridge, and with a few whispered words, was presented with a large bowl of Chocolate Mousse. Bowl in one hand and book in the other, Calypso went over to the other windowseat, where Snuffles was lying, looking at Calypso in a strange way.

"Budge over, pup." She whispered. 

Snuffles reluctantly wriggled to one side, and, tucking her knees up beside her, Calypso sat down, balancing her bowl on the windowsill and perching her book on her knees. Ignoring Snuffles, she opened the book up to the first page, and, taking a huge, wobbling spoonfull of Chocolate Mousse, began to read.

Three-quarters of an hour later, Calypso gave a start and the chocolate mousse that was on its way to her mouth slopped onto the front of her robes and dribbled, slug-like, down her front.

She didn't care. Grabbing the book with both hands, eyes riveted on the pages, she read.

Feb 22 - Sunday night.

Dream. Sitting on lawn somewhere. Red cottage, green windowsills. Blue sky. Content. Dog and Wolf at side. Then big black clouds creep over sky. Ominous feeling. Evil?

March 9 - Tuesday.......

Calypso re-read her brief entry. The dream trickled back to her, and she could hazily remember it. It happened about two years ago, and as it was so vague and unfamiliar at the time, she had ignored and forgotten it. Until now. The house was defiantly Remus's. Yes, the more she thought about it, the more familiar it seemed. That was why when she had walked into the valley she had felt twitches of deja vue. Ahhh, it all makes sense now. Apart from the wolf. Was that her or a metaphor of another person? 

Her head hurt. She scraped the gob of chocolate mousse off her robes with the spoon and ate it, and then with a flick of her outstretched hand, the bowl and spoon flew gracefully across the room to land in the cluttered sink. She flicked her fingers, and the taps began to trickle on, the plug rammed itself into the hole, and the detergent squirted into the stainless steel basin. When the sink was full, Calypso made a few gestures and the rest of the dishes that were stacked up all over the bench and table also glided across thin air to jostle their way into the sink. Gosh I'm lazy, she thought to herself. Even her brain felt lazy at the moment. Sunburn always made her tired. She leant back a little and looked out the window to the gold-splashed countryside views. It was warm, cozy and comfortable sitting on the windowseat, a slight cool breeze dancing around inside, a shaggy, warm sleeping dog at her feet, and a sleeping human off to her right. Her eyelids were heavy, and the sun played gently across her lightly freckled cheeks as her head slipped back, and the book falling lightly from her knees and sliding down her legs, coming to rest at her feet, by Snuffles twitching nose. The last thing Calypso heard as she slowly drifted off to sleep was faint snores from Snuffles mixed with serenading birdsong from outside. 

**********

She dreamed.

The little eleven year-old girl carefully withdrew from the sleeping old woman's bedroom, grabbed a bowl from the kitchen and crept back outside. The trees shook silkily overhead, and the sun was hot and bright. She ran barefooted down the winding path, brushing past the riotous flowerbeds to the bottom of the garden, not far from the outhouse. She reached out and flicked the catch on the gate and let herself into the carefully tended vegetable garden.

Ignoring the rows of fat cabbages and vines heavy with plump tomatoes, she went to a row of green, stringy leaves sticking out of the ground. Burrowing her toes into the hot, dry soil, the girl knelt down and heaved several carrots out of the ground, shook the dirt off them and tossed them into the bowl. Passing the rows of corn, all taller than she was, she sat down at the row of potatoes, and started digging with her hands. She loved the smell of soil - earthy, Kuia said. 

When she had three potatoes, she moved onto the peas, plucked handfuls of peapods, and threw them into the bowl. Standing up, she brushed the crumbly soil off her shins and went back up to the house.

The girl opened the pantry door and lifted carefully from the hook the apron, patterned with pictures of cows. She had brought Kuia it for Christmas, and remembered how delighted the old lady had been when she had unwrapped the bundle. 

The girl slipped it over her head, and, wrapping the cords twice around her body, finished it in a neat bow. The bottom of the plastic-covered apron scraped the floor as the girl walked around the kitchen importantly, making a dull swooshing noise as she collected ingredients and equipment deeded to make a dinner for one.

She shelled the peas at the sink, but more peas found their way into her mouth than the pot. Strange, that. One of life's great mysteries, Kuia said.

Bits of potato flew all around the kitchen as the girl smashed them with the potato masher. Sweating, the girl had to admit that it looked much easier when Kuia had done it. Eventually, though, she had smashed enough potato to accompany the carrots, peas and Pork that was just finishing cooking. 

She grabbed the bucket of scraps and, topping it up with a few scoops of Chicken Grain from a sack in the corner, went outside to the driveway. With noisy chickens running excitedly underfoot, hurled the contents in a huge arc, scattering the food across the path and grass. She had managed to cover a hen in potato peelings, but it didn't seem to care. It just pecked frantically on the ground, bocking and clucking away happily. The girl spotted the goat coming to push its way in and she decided to make a hasty exit. The goat was liable to chase her if it thought she still had some food in her hand, and it's horns were very hard when they connected with her backside.

Back in the kitchen, the girl arranged the food, the cup of strong tea and the posy of flowers she had picked from the garden on a tray, and added some serviettes with the cutlery. She wiped down the apron, which was adorned with bits of food and liberal amounts of gravy, and hung it back up. Picking up the tray, she carefully walked down the hallway, never taking her eyes off the teacup.

She rapped on the door with her foot.

"Kuia? You up? Hey I got dinner for ya." 

There was no answer.

She put her shoulder up against the door, pushed, and it swung open.

"I made you Pork and peas and carr...." She said proudly, and then looked up.

The tray fell from her limp hands with a crash, and food splattered everywhere to join the blood.

The old woman was sprawled across her bed, blood and tissue smeared all over the walls, bedspread and carpet.

The little girl stood still, trembling violently, unable to make a move for what seemed an eternity. She eventually took a small step over to the corpse.

K...K...kuia?" she blubbered. 

There was no reply.

Feet skidding on the blood-slicked carpet, she slipped as she walked over, and fell on top of the body. 

It was cold and slimy.

The girl saw what was left of the woman's head, and, eyes bulging, and scrambled frantically off the dead woman's legs. Chest heaving, she turned and ran, over the spilled dinner, out the door, tripping over the doorframe, scattering chickens, sprinting down the driveway, too traumatized for tears, leaving red footprints in her wake.

**********

Calypso woke up thrashing wildly with the bedspread that Remus had thrown over her. There was a large weight on her chest, and, opening her eyes, shr found it was Snuffles, who had placed a large paw on each of her shoulders, holding her down. Remus was standing by, looking worried. 

Calypso took a shuddering breath, and tried to stop shaking. She couldn't. 

"Hell, Calypso, are you all right?" Remus asked, worried.

It was a while before Calypso could talk - her breathing was erratic, and her heartbeat was like a jackhammer.

"Umm...I'm okay. At least I will be soon." She replied, voice cracking, unconciously trying to wipe off her arms blood that wasn't there. 

Snuffles took his paws off her chest, and looked sorrowfully at her, before leaning over and licking her salty cheeks with a rough tongue.

That was it. Calypso threw her arms around the huge dog, pulled him close and buried her face in his shaggy coat. He leaned his head on her shoulder, and Calypso screwed her face up. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she bit her lip to stop herself from howling out loud. Remus placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, and after a few minutes, Calypso finally had wrangled enough grip on her emotions to take her face out of the dog's fur and face the world.

"What was that?" Remus asked quietly, at length. "A vision, was it? What happened?

Calypso shook her head.

"It wasn't a vision, it was a memory." She whispered.

Suddenly, mad at herself, mad at her past, mad at this stupid scenario, mad at the buzz, who had dropped her into all this anyway, mad at Snuffles, for licking her cheeks and making her break down, mad at Remus, for being so damm nice, mad at the world for being the fucking way it was, she jumped up, threw Remus's arm to the side, shunted Snuffles along, and stalked out of the room. 

"I'm going to have a bath" she declared, and, hating her every action, but feeling strangely trapped now, grabbed her pack, marched into the bathroom and shut the door firmly.

**********

The clawed bathtub was majestically perched atop a set of marble stairs, and its sides were littered with candles, some tall, some just stubs, molten wax trailing everywhere. Calypso lounged in the hot water in the half-dark, bubbles up to her chin, and despised herself. Silent tears of self pity ran slowly down her freckled cheeks. The buzz is right, she thought, you are a bitch, and a hormone-charged cow. I acted like a right royal prick just now to Remus, and all he has ever done is go beyond any reasonable expectation doing stuff for me. Hell, he has even offered me his house to live in, and all with no questions asked. And what do I do? Go psyche when he tries to comfort me. I am such a bitch.

Calypso pulled a dripping, bubble-coated hand out of the water, and with a flick of her fingers, sent balls of fire to engulf the candles to express her anger with herself. 

I'd better get out of here and go and apologize, like I should have done about an hour ago, instead of sitting in here till the bath water is lukewarm, she thought tiredly. I need to get out of here, phone home and talk to Melody. Will do so tomorrow. 

There were three more days until the meeting with the rest of the Phoenixes. I need some clothes, she thought resignedly. Usually she only shopped by mail order - she hated going clothes shopping, unlike most of her sex. But Calypso had to admit that one set of stolen hospital robes, a pair of rugged, clumpy tramping boots, one pair of jeans, a single pair of shorts and a tattered singlet was not sufficient if she was going to stay on a permanent basis in England. And she desperately needed to top up her underwear supply.

Splashing her face, and finally starting to feel normal again, she heaved herself out of the bath, sloshing foamy water everywhere, and descended the marble stairs, drying herself with a fat, fluffy green towel. Dragging on clothes, she thought she heard voices from out the door. Visitors? Semi-decent in her battered singlet and shorts, she took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.

Remus was sitting at the table with Snuffles and a dark-haired woman with her back to the door as Calypso hesitantly poked her head around the corner.

"Ah, so you are finally out of the bath!" he exclaimed, good-naturedly. "I thought you had drowned." He beckoned her over, and the woman turned around curiously.

She was a real beauty, Calypso had to admit. She had Italian looks, high cheekbones, pale, porcelain skin, emerald eyes, full lips and gorgeous and raven black hair that was piled elaborately up on her head, and then fell in dead straight sheets down her back, covering her back. A bit like a cross between Carmen Miranda and a grown-up Wednesday Adams, Calypso thought ironically. But this witch was truly a looker. Elegant, too.

"Calypso, this is Maria, my girlfriend." Remus introduced them.

"So this is the person I have been hearing so much about" Maria said curiously, eyes raking the still dripping Calypso. Calypso suddenly wished she had taken the time to dry her hair and put on makeup, as Maria's eyes took in her bare feet, fuzzy long legs,(she had found no sign of a razor in Remus's bathroom, and she had lost hers the night after she had arrived in Heathrow) creased shorts, red singlet with threads flying that showed off a generous amount of breast (simply because that was the region that was fraying away), freckled nose and cheeks and sodden blonde hair. 

"Do women always do that to each other?" asked Remus, puzzled. "Look each other over, I mean. Just like the way animals do before they attack."

Maria smiled, and her face lit up. "Take a seat, I won't bite." She said, with a touch of laughter in her voice.

Calypso decided that she could get along with Remus's girlfriend. 

In fact, after a few cups of tea, Calypso decided that she really liked Maria. She was warm, funny and intelligent, with a Latino flair and a British accent. Despite her being in her mid-thirties, Calypso felt like she was friends with the older witch. Remus had good taste. And by the way Remus and Maria were shooting smoldering looks over the teacups, Calypso had a feeling that they were more 'partners' than just dating. She was happy for him - Remus deserved someone special. 

When Remus brought up the subject of Calypso being the newest Phoenix, Maria was genuinely delighted, but Calypso delicately steered conversation away from what assets had got her admitted. She had learnt that her gift was something that not everyone responded positively to.

After the third cup of tea, talk turned shop, and Calypso sat back and listened while Remus and Maria discussed work. From what she could gather, both Remus and Maria were full-time Phoenixes, and there had been attacks on a prominent wizard family the day she had crashed at Remus' house - two of the family had been murdered, along with one of the official ministry aurors. 

"The Edgecombes were great people" remarked Remus sadly. "Remember Richard? He was a terrific character, the clown of Hufflepuff. I will really miss not having him around the office."

Maria nodded sadly. "And Elizabeth used to live next door to me for a while. She was the sweetest soul you could ever hope to cross..." her voice trailed off.

"How's Helen's condition?" asked Remus

"Improving, but still critical. If she dies, Marilyn will be distraught. She's come to grips with her parent's deaths, but she's only in second year. She's very close to her sister." 

Calypso cut into the melancholy silence. "Erm, were you two at school together?"

Maria gave Remus a rougish wink. "Yeah, we were in the same year and same house. Even though, I didn't really get to... know him... until sixth year."

"And so many of our class is dead..." remarked Remus sadly, not picking up on Maria's innuendo. 

Snuffles whined.

"Yes..." agreed Maria. She quickly turned to face Calypso, and pointedly changing the subject, asked, "So how did you end up here?"

What the hell, thought Calypso. I like her, and she'll find out anyway. So she told Maria the strange and very unbelievable story of the buzz, and backpacking across America to find herself on Remus's door, then Peachgrove Village, and the saga at the hospital. When she had finished, Maria was looking interested, and thoughtful.

"So this buzz, it's in your head?" she asked.

Calypso nodded.

"And it has a voice now? And says things?"

Calypso nodded again.

"So have you tried talking to it? Asking it questions about why you are here, and what you have to do?"

Calypso let her jaw hang. "I never thought..." she stumbled.

"Give it a try" urged Remus.

Calypso leaned back on her chair, and looked up as far as her eyeballs would let her. _Hello? Coooeeeeee!_ She thought. _Anyone home?_

__

Well, finally, you have used some of your pathetically small intellect and decided to talk to me. Jeez, took you long enough. Said a familiar, irritating voice from the back of Calypso's head. She grinned.

"It's working!"

__

So, buzz, even though you don't buzz anymore, what the hell are you? She questioned silently.

__

Mind your own business. I am here and I am in control. It replied tetchily. 

__

Ohhhhoh, now I don't like that. I am in control of my own life, so fuck off. Calypso thought back moodily. 

__

Sweets, since when have you been in control of your life? The words rang in her head like a cutting bell.

Shut up.

Oi, be nice. It thought back sarcastically.

__

So, Calypso thought, trying to block out the vivid imagery the words had brought back, _what are you doing here in my head? What the hell am I supposed to be doing here? _

I am in your head to be a guide, I suppose. What you are supposed to be doing is fighting Voldemort. Is that clear enough? It thought back sarcastically.

__

Actually, no. How am I going to fight Voldemort? I'm no witch. And what the hell is going to happen? My visions can't help that much. Calypso thought it might be best to take the diplomatic line with the buzz.

__

You'd be surprised, the buzz sent dryly. _And your past is going to help._

Calypso felt a barb in her stomach. Her past?

__

So what are you? 

Gosh you are impatient. And since I don't think your brain is capable of processing complex thoughts, I'll make this very simple. If you really want to know, I'm dead. I once was a great seer, and I need to make sure Voldemort isn't going to win. Unfortunately, being dead, I can't do much. So since you are the only seer I can use at the moment, I'm just instructing you. Isn't that a nice thought? You are my apprentice. 

Yes, master Yoda. Calypso thought sourly._ And what is this great deed I am going to accomplish?_

There are a few, actually. You already have done a few, at Peachgrove Village, and Mungdungus Fletcher. I like Muggles, and we need Mungdungus later on. 

Just a hint? Calypso implored.

__

No. Just pay attention to your dreams – that is, your futuretelling dreams, not your memory dreams. Now, I'm tired of playing 20 questions. Go away and be a good girl and don't get yourself into trouble. Go shopping or something, nothing is planned to happen until the meeting. 

Sweet dreams! It added sarcastically.

Calypso looked back at Remus and Maria.

"Well?"

"There is a dead cow in my head that has plans for me." Calypso said absently.

"What?"

"Well, I think it's a she. She's really bitchy, I wouldn't have liked to meet her when she was alive, dead is bad enough. She says she was a seer, and she needs me to do stuff for her to defeat Voldemort. I really don't like her superior attitude."

"It's a cow?"

"With a superior attitude?"

"No, it's human, she just acts like a cow."

"Aah."

Snuffles snorted.

"A dead seer?" Maria bit her lip thoughtfully. "There aren't many seers, dead or alive, so I could probably find out about her."

"Thanks, Maria. And by the way, she told me to go shopping tomorrow."

Remus looked at her clothes, and had to agree.

"You can fly back into London."

"Uhh...really?"

"Yeah, go for it. You fly well enough to go to London."

Calypso's face broke into a huge, sunny smile. "Allright! I can do the tourist rounds!"

"Yes, well, you have three days to kill before the meeting." Remus replied, indifferently.

"Calypso, since out meeting is at night on Thursday, on that day do you want to spend the day investigating Diagon Alley?" Maria suggested kindly.

"Oh my god. Really? Diagon Alley is world famous! Hell..." Calypso was lost for words.

When they retired for bed, Calypso had forgotten about her tantrum and her dream, and her head was filled with wild imaginative pictures of Diagon Alley and Big Ben. Her head hit the pillow, and she only had time to begin to mull over what the dead seer in her head had said before she fell into a deep sleep.

**********

She dreamed.

Calypso was on a long, sandy beach, flanked by severe cliffs that echoed the crashing of the waves. The brutal breeze picked up her hair and tossed it into her eyes. She was sitting on the back of a horse, bareback. There were black clouds on the horizon, tinged with purple, threatening a storm. Calypso turned her grey horse around. With the wind came liquid fear, and looking down the sandy stretch of the coarse beach, grey-blue waves thundering to the side, she spotted movement coming fast up the beach. Terror struck at her heart like a barbed arrow. She whirled her horse around, and kicked its sides hard. 

Yah yah! She screamed, panicking.

The horse reared, then took off at a gallop. Calypso leant forward and wound her hands into it's long mane, salt spray splashing her cheeks, and mane whipping her face brutally. She spared a glance behind her, and was horrified to see the dark mass behind her catching up rapidly. She kicked her horse harder, and pushed her hands up its neck, urging it to go faster. They raced down the hard sand of the beach beside the brutal waves, hooves pounding echoing eerily off the cliffs, the black mass behind and the storm moving faster than she was. 

Suddenly, the black mass was equal with her, and, horrified, she turned her head to look at it. A face appeared, laughing, before a hand reached out and grabbed her neck and dragged her, screaming, off her horse...

Calypso sat up in bed, sweating. 

Pay attention to your dreams, the buzz had said. Well, she had no memories like that one, so it had to have been a prophecy. Calypso silently peeled back the covers, and got out of bed. She silently crept down the hall and into the kitchen to pick up her book. It had to be about three in the morning, there was no sound or light outside. Careful not to wake anyone, she crept back to her bed, and, grabbing a pen out of her pack, entered her latest dream in.

**********

The next day, when Calypso was sitting at the table having breakfast, Maria walked in, wearing Remus's dressing gown. Calypso tried to maintain an indifferent expression. She didn't thing it worked, judging by the way that Maria winked at her, at which Calypso snorted into her cornflakes.

"So where are you planning to go today?" asked Maria as she helped herself to stewed fruit.

"Urg, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and Oxford Street today." Calypso managed to say between chews of cornflakes. "They are probably nowhere near one another, but I don't care. That's what I want to do, and I'll pick up a copy of Lonely Planet and find out what I want to do tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun. You sure you are going to be okay by yourself? And what's Lonely Planet?" Maria asked kindly.

Calypso gave her a patronizing look. "Lonely Planet is a really good tour guide book. And Maria, so far I have traveled the whole way across the globe by myself. I will be fine just going sightseeing and shopping for one day."

Remus appeared in the doorway, looking noticeably disheveled. "Talking about shopping, do you have any money?"

Calypso nodded. "I only have about two pounds cash, but I have a Visa card and plenty of cash in other bank accounts. Don't worry about me." Remus nodded and disappeared into the bathroom, and Maria and Calypso could hear the shower running.

"So, how long have you and Remus been going out?" Calypso asked, no longer able to restrain herself.

"A while" Maria answered evasively, but after howls of indignation from Calypso, Maria relented and told her the story.

It seemed that they had first started dating when they were 16, and had continued doing so when they finished school, when Maria was offered a position as a junior pediatric doctor at St. Mungos. Remus had a job as an auror in England, until about three years later. Maria glossed over what had happened, but it all seemed to be centered around the time when Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. Remus had apparently broken off all ties with, well, everyone, and had disappeared overseas for nine years, before finally returning home. It seemed that his parents were killed by Voldemort, and his friends were dead. Maria, on the other hand, had taken up a post lecturing in the United States, and had done the rounds for ten years before returning home. In Diagon Alley, about four years ago, they met up, had a coffee, and, well, one thing lead to another thing, and, as Maria put it, "here we are now."

Calypso was going to ask cockily when they were getting married, but by that time Remus was out of the shower, clean and dressed in deep maroon robes. Maria went and claimed the shower, and Calypso suddenly had a thought.

"Where's Snuffles?"

"Out. He won't be back for days."

Calypso raised her eyebrows at this, but said nothing. There was defiantly more to Snuffles than Remus was going to admit.

"So how am I going to find London, and then find home again?" she asked, changing the topic.

"I'll give you a Pathfinder. You clip it onto the end of your broomstick and it sends a green line out ahead of you that you follow. And when you want to go back, you just follow the line the opposite way. No-one can see the line but you, and it's totally foolproof." He said as he stacked a plate with crumpets and jam. "Oh, and that reminds me. You can have my mother's old shopping bag too. Remind me before you leave.

Calypso didn't have to remind him, as Maria suggested exactly the same thing when she emerged from the bathroom. Remus went into the lounge, and reappeared holding a mouldy looking carpet bag. Calypso wrinkled up her nose. "Umm, thank you but no thank you." She said politely.

Remus smiled. "You might change your mind when you observe it's magical powers." He grabbed a few huge tomes out of the bookshelf and dropped them in, followed by a large leafy potplant, a paperweight, a few ornaments, and more books. He grinned and handed the bag to her. It was as light as a feather, and looked empty. Stunned, she opened it up and peered inside. Gasping, she saw at a huge pile of books, ornaments and the potplant that Remus had just thrown in. She ran her hands over the bottom of the bag, which was much higher than the bottom of the inside was. 

"Ohwow. How does this work?" she asked, flabbergasted, and put her whole arm into the bag up to her shoulder and waved it around, without touching anything solid.

Remus grinned again at Calypso's obvious delightment.

"It's maaaagic." He said slowly in baby-talk, eyes wide open.

Calypso shot him a look of pure evil. 

**********

Flying out later, with the wind whistling in her ears and slathered with sunscreen, Calypso had time to mull over her strange dream as hills and valleys flashed past below. Think as she might, she could not get a solution. She had never owned a gray horse, or been to a beach that looked like that, even though she thought it looked like the Kawhia shoreline from a postcard Ian had sent her once when he was on holiday. Black, purple-tinged clouds were surely a sign of evil, but that was not unexpected these days. Scared of a distant evil that was catching up? She was stumped. 

She had left just after seven, and she calculated that she should be in London by eleven if she flew the whole way at top speed, which was, Remus informed her, 220 Km/h. Which was what she was doing now. Thanks to the standard enchantments on the broomstick, it felt much slower, and she wasn't ripped off by the wind. 

The shutter on the camera froze into memory for all eternity the young Japanese couple hugging each other, with the backdrop of Big Ben, blue sky and pigeons on the handrail behind them. Calypso lowered the camera and handed it back to the pair. They thanked her energetically many times over, the girl with a perfect toothpaste commercial smile. Calypso assured them it was no trouble, and watched as they walked off, arms around each other, blissfully happy. She felt a pang of envy, and then quickly brushed it out of her mind. 

She had landed (successfully) just outside of the city, and after walking a short way, had caught the underground in to Knightsbridge to Hyde Park, which she had flown over the previous day. She had hired a horse and rode around the park for two hours, the whole time feeling her guilt, frustration and apprehension melt away in the sunlight. 

When she had returned with the sweaty horse, the girl in charge of the stables had given her an incredulous look. Dressed in her jeans, boots and a tight 'I love London' tourist t-shirt she had brought off a vendor outside of the Park, and her ancient old carpet bag hanging off a hook nearby, she was hardly a match for this girl in her jodhpurs, shiny black boots, crisp white shirt and maroon tie. 

When she had gone to hire her horse, she explained to a closed mind that she rode horses for a living, she would like something with a bit of spark, and did they happen to have any stock saddles? The girl had sneered in a plummy accent and had presented her with a tired old nag, telling her that they didn't have rubbish like stock saddles. Calypso had not said a word, and simply marched into another stall and led out a huge, chocolate brown throughbred. After a few words (not all of them nice) were exchanged, Calypso had saddled up and ridden off on the excitable ex-racehorse as it bucked and skittered across the bridle path, leaving a fuming groom behind her.

Two hours of galloping, jumping and intense riding had wound the kinks out of her horse, and Calypso herself was bouncing. The groom was a little more polite after watching Calypso jump a huge fence effortlessly as she came back onto the yard and canter, stirrupless, up to the mounting block. 

Still in her horse-hair covered jeans and sweaty London top, but feeling incredibly invigorated, she found the nearest department store and purchased another t-shirt, a pair of the newest fashion bellbottom jeans, and some platforms. Looking a little more respectable, she caught the underground to Oxford Street and shopped up large, trying to forget that she had a dead person in her head. 

**********

Visa cards were the devil's handiwork, she decided after leaving the seventh shop with four bags in her hands, and waving the sales assistants goodbye. Ouch, that last lot cost £108.75. Sheez, be up to my limit soon, she thought guiltily. She joined the mad rush of people on the pavement and unobtrusively dropped her shopping bags into Remus's carpet bag one by one. Walking past a bank, she felt a twitch of temptation, but quickly checked herself. Don't want that money anyway. Blood money, she thought. I'd better get out of this shopping mode, and the best way to do that is to get away from here. So she traveled to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard, and then to Big Ben, buying tourist rubbish to send home to her sisters and friends, and taking photos for other tourists. 

I firmly refuse to save any lives today, or risk my life, or be a hero in any way, shape or form, she thought. It's a day for me. Gosh that sounds selfish, me me me, but I don't care.

**********

Watching a pair of teenagers her age walk past, Calypso felt lonely again, and shook it off. But still, she wanted to talk to her sisters. The problem was the time zones. They were triplets, and very close, but she was sure that Melody and Aria wouldn't appreciate being woken up at three in the morning by the clamor of the telephone, even if it was their darling sister on the end of the line. So she chose some very London-ish postcards from a small newsagent, a pile of newspapers and a few magazines and stuffed them into her bag, which was still feather light, and eyed up the hairdressers across the road. 

At four, she decided to head back. She wanted to get back before dark – the Pathfinder worked well, but she wasn't going to test whether it glowed in the dark. She was walking down the stairwell to the underground station, flanked by hordes of people, when suddenly she caught a glimpse of the back of a head out the corner of her eye. 

Her head shot up, and she trod on someone's foot as she tried to get another look. Fumbling with her money as she paid to go through the turnstiles, she lost sight of the head.

Apologizing as she pushed her way forward, she frantically searched for the head again, hoping, desperately hoping it wasn't...

There. She spotted it again – shoulder-length steel gray hair, with a single strand of white down the back, like a skunk. 

A tight metal band suddenly constricted around Calypso's chest. 

Still, she had to make sure.

She shouldered her way past a guy in stubby red shorts to be standing parallel to the man with the skunk striped hair, a few persons between them. The crowd surged forward as the train arrived, and Calypso got a good hard look at his face.

Her breath died in her chest.

God no. He was supposed to be in jail, rotting away somewhere on the other side of the world. Not here. Not where she was, fucking up her life once again.

She stood rooted to spot, and in those few seconds he turned his head and spotted her. As if in slow motion, his black eyes met her blue-gray ones, and widened in shock. 

Calypso... he mouthed, the sound lost over the screech of the train.

It was fight or flight. Instinct told her to flight. 

Her muscles bunched, and she turned, running straight into a businessman. She grabbed him, pushed him aside roughly and struggled through the crowd, panicking. It was like trying to move out of a mosh pit, or like trying to walk through a wool blanket, suffocatingly thick. Thickly and gluggily, people moved as Calypso squeezed gaps between them, but not fast enough. She was almost to the train door, when a hand closed on her shoulder and hauled her backwards.

"You're not going anywhere" a voice said softly, dangerously, close to her ear.

Calypso acted on instinct. She took an extra step back into the man, and raked the heel of her new shoes down his shins hard. He let out a roar of pain and backed away a few steps, releasing his grip on her shoulder. That was it. Calypso spun around, and grabbed his outstretched arm, twisted it, and bent it back and over. His eyes widening in shock at being caught out so easily, Calypso easily broke his arm with a snap like celery breaking. She reached out a leg, and smoothly whipped it around to knock out the back of his knees, and her assailant fell back onto the concrete, letting out a bellow of pain. 

Calypso didn't even stop to look. She turned and, ignoring the people that had stopped to look, pushed her way onto the train, and wrestled her way as far down as she could get. Pressed up against the end of the carriage, she tried to get breath, and did not succeed. She was trembling uncontrollably all over, and she wanted to be sick. People were looking at her strangely, but did not make eye contact. That was just fine with her.

Shit, what was he doing here? What were the odds, seeing each other in London of all places? GODDAMMIT! She thought. Her thoughts were rushing around in her head crazily. She clutched her bag closer to her chest and started breathing normally. I can do this, she thought. He'll never find me. I got away. I'm fine.

She got off at the eighth stop, and climbing to the top of the stairs into the bright sunlight, she felt quite normal, even though still a little shaky, heart a little fast. Walking along the shop fronts, she found a little deserted side alley and, unconcernedly, walked down it. At the end, she reached into her bag and pulled out her new pair of designer sunglasses. Pushing them onto her nose, she reached in again and, after rummaging around, pulled out her broomstick and sat it on top of a rubbish skip. Closing the bag and fastening it with a snap, she quickly looked around to check that no-one was watching, and mounted her broomstick with shaking hands. Rising a bit higher, one of her shoes fell off. Cursing, she landed again, and whipping her other shoe off, stuffed them both in her bag. She looked up at a small sound...

He was standing there, wand in hand, arm fully fixed.

Her heart stopped.

He gave a cruel smile.

"Calypso, long time, no see..." he purred, and took a step forward, false leg making a familiar clinking noise on the ground.

Her brain came back onto gear, and she kicked off against the ground, hard and zoomed straight up into the sky.

"STUPEFY!" she heard yelled, and a jet of orange light smashed through the window she had just passed.

She reached the top of the building, and shot off, ducking low into the streets, weaving around streets at high speed, turning corners erratically before realizing she was gripping with her hands too tightly.

Left, right, left, third right, left at the Y-intersection, left again, right, second right...she risked a look behind her, and saw no-one. Not even slowing down, she flew straight over a tree-filled reserve, and took her hands and knees off the broomstick. She fell to the ground, as Remus had warned her, just like a stone. Just as she was about to hit the ground, she grabbed the broom tightly again, and stopped just in time to hover above the ground. Leaping off, she raced over to a large tree and stood beneath it, panting, eyes darting in all directions.

"Woah, too weird." Said a dismembered voice to her side.

She looked at her feet, and saw a group of five punks sitting with their backs to the tree trunk. 

Ahhhhh CRAP, they saw me, she thought.

Then one of them started giggling hysterically, and Calypso sighed with relief. High. They all think they were tripping out and just hallucinated seeing me land. She quickly jammed her broomstick into her bag, and boldly went over and sat next to the one on the end, who had a highlighter pink mowhawk waxed into sharp spikes. Leaning against the tree, she let out a shaky sigh of relief. Sitting next these druggies, he would never be able to pick up on her mind. These stoners should scramble any thoughtwaves around here, but she still had a huge problem. How to get back to Remus's house without him tracking her. She closed her eyes, and tried to relax and think. 

Monohan was his name, and Calypso knew him better than she would have ever liked. He had a talent that not many people knew about – he was an expert tracker, due to the fact that he could identify people by their minds. 

It had been a joke that Monohan's mother was a Dementor, as he shared the same uncanny ability with the foul creatures. Monohan had stopped that joke quite quickly.

'Thoughtwaves' he had called them. He said they radiated out of people's heads like a radiostation that he could tune into if he wanted. He could just scan the airwaves, or if he knew someone he could ajust the little knobs somewhere in his head and hone in on them. He could do that for about a radius of two kilometres. Calypso thought it sounded like he was identifying people's auras, not thoughts. Whatever he called his waves, his method was better than a fingerprint, better than DNA. They all had thought that there was no flaw to Monohan's little sneaky trick, but Calypso had found a few.

Getting completely drunk would mess her 'signal' well enough, she had done it before, but she had no way of getting any alcohol, then it would take a while for it to hit her, and then she had to fly home. Flying home drunk would not be a good idea. Maybe she could kidnap one of these guys and take him with her, like a portable scrambling device, then Remus could modify his memory...but that would require explaining a lot of things to Remus... 

Suddenly there was a touch on her shoulder, and she jumped.

"Hey, didn't mean to scare ya" said a very pierced punk in leather, who had jumped as much as she had.

"Uh, no, sorry aye, I just..." Calypso said shakily.

He cut her off.

"Oi, youre an Aussie, aren't you?"

Calypso nodded.

"Want some?" He gestured toward his jacket.

Calypso stopped to think, and then smiled. The next best thing to taking one of these punks home with her.

"Whattya got?" 

**********

An hour later she was still sitting next to the group of punks, totally stoned out of her mind, mellowed out and relaxed. 

This is what I needed, she thought. Just a bit of pot to calm me down, scramble my mental signal and let me think for a while. 

Some people giggle when stoned, others go to sleep, a small few get aggressive, most get energetic, and others, like Calypso, just contemplate the meaning of the universe.

So she thought about what was happening to her.

Monohan is here.

He didn't know I was here, judging by his expression.

He's out of jail.

He must have either broken out, or escaped.

I'm in trouble. 

He's dangerous.

Remus should know. 

This is bad.

That bloody buzz said my past would play a part. 

He's from my past.

And Monohan being Monohan, will be in the thick of things.

He can't track me while I'm stoned.

I have to get out of London, at least a few kilometers away before I start coming 'down'.

But even at Remus' I won't be safe.

All it will take is for him and those Death Eaters I met near Remus' house to swap notes to work out where I am, and then even the Fidlus Charm won't help.

She sighed, and let out a few giggles accidentally.

Standing up, she reached over to a girl dressed in denim and plucked the joint out of her hand, took a drag, and placed it back in her unmoving fingers.

"Thanks mates" she said in a strangled voice, and flicked the last of her paper money, a few pounds into the punk wearing leather's lap. He grinned at her, and started laughing.

"G...glad to have been...of service!" he managed to say between laughs.

Calypso blew him a kiss, and walked off to a deserted part of the reserve, the group's laughter floating across the still summer air.

When she thought she was alone, she looked around to spot any people that might happen to look her way, a very easy task when you are stoned and can spot individual ants moving. When she was satisfied no-one was innocently glancing her way, she whipped out her broomstick, turned on the Pathfinder, slung the bag onto the end, and leapt on it. She gave a yelp as she soared into the sky and her senses went delightfully haywire. Better go slowly, she thought. Don't want to fly straight into a skyscraper or something. She laughed hysterically at the thought. Boy am I wasted.

What was the old saying? Don't drink and drive – smoke dope and fly home. Calypso burst into peals of laughter, and didn't stop until she had reached the outskirts of London, when her chest started hurting from laughing uncontrollably so much.

The wind rushing past her face and catching her hair felt incredible, and she immensely enjoyed her flight home, following the green line floating in the air ahead of her.

**********

By the time she reached Remus's house, she was completely normal again, very tired, there was no-one following her and it was well into twilight. It was only the lights coming from the windows of the house that enabled her to find it. Landing perfectly on the path, (yeeeeeha! she thought), bag hanging off the end of the broomstick, she saw a head pop out of the front door, quickly followed by a fast-moving, shaggy black blur. Snuffles raced down the path, and bounded around her, slobbering everywhere.

"Yo Snuffles you mangy cur! Stop drooling me!" she ordered.

Snuffles barked and ran back inside, Calypso following him, barefoot.

Maria greeted her at the door.

"You're back! Hell, we were getting worried, it'll be dark soon. You were cutting it very fine!" she said, obviously relieved.

"Yeah, I meant to leave earlier, but I got unavoidably delayed." She said apologetically. Well, I suppose there is more than a grain of truth in that, she thought, looking around for any sign of anything unusual.

"Come on in!" Maria exclaimed, and swept Calypso inside to the kitchen, which smelt of dinner, where Remus was sitting, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Had a good day? Brought everything in London yet?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Not quite", she said, chuckling. "But don't say I didn't try. So what happened today at work? Anything interesting?" she said, trying to read the paper over his shoulder.

"Funny you should say that. Big happenings down your end of the world" he answered, and flicked the paper back to the front page. There, blaring across the front page, was the message Calypso did not want to see – 

Australasian Prison Broken Open – Death Eaters Loose

At One PM local time today, Death Eaters stormed the infamous South Pacific prison of Devil's Island, freeing all inmates. Your Daily Prophet reporter can say in all confidence that the Dementors guarding the cells did not fight the intruders – rather, they helped them set free the most dangerous criminals in the Southern Hemisphere by destroying the anti-apparation wards that would have otherwise foiled the break-in. Within seconds, all involved apparated from the fortress, and there has been no trace of them. 

This reporter, however, is sure that this is not the last we have heard from these vicious killers, who terrorized not only the Wizarding world, but sowed seeds of conflict in Muggle societies such as Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands...

Remus noticed her frozen face.

"What's the matter?"

Calypso blinked. Lie, she thought.

"Oh...uh...I'm just worried about my sisters. You know, with those loose nutters running around the place so near to home. Hey, I know that I've just got back from London and all, but do you mind if I fly into Peachgrove Village and ring home? You know, just to check that everything is okay and all..."

Remus dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, sure, just take Snuffles with you."

Calypso looked a little put out.

"How's he going to get there? I'll be flying."

"You can't fly fast at night anyhow, just fly slowly and he'll run along behind you." Remus grinned evilly. "He needs the exercise – he's getting fat" 

Snuffles growled from the windowseat, but lurched to his feet and padded his way across the kitchen to stand beside Calypso who ruffled up his fur. 

Calypso dug into her pockets and pulled out just under ten pounds in change. Enough to phone home, she thought.

"Let's go, pup."

**********

Calypso leant against the side of the red phone booth nervously as the phone pealed in her ear. Pick up, dammit, she thought. It would be eight in the morning over there, so they should be up and having breakfast. Pick up.

Suddenly, after the eleventh ring, there was a click, a shuffle, and a voice spoke into the receiver.

"Gudday, Mel here." Said a voice lazily. 

Calypso felt a surge of joy.

"MEL! AAAAAAH!" she bellowed hysterically into the phone.

"What?" was the confused reply on the other end of the line.

"It's me!"

"What...Cal?" said the voice, hesitantly.

"Yes of course dumbnut, who else!"  


"CAL! Oh God, where the fuck have you been?"

Calypso smiled broadly and twisted the telephone cord around her fingers.

"Shit it's good to hear your voice again."

"Where in God's name have you been?" demanded Mel again.

"Since I last called, in England. I went to London yesterday, and I've passed through heaps of..."

"FOR SIX FUCKING MONTHS? Mel screamed down the phone line

"No, for about a week now, what do you..." replied Calypso, confused.

"Fuckit Cal!" Mel started to break down, sobbing into the receiver. "We all thought you were dead, we had Interpol looking for you, and Ian and Ben flew to L.A to ask at the airport and..."

"What?" said Calypso softly, eyes wide open. 

"We thought you were dead, I'd given up all hope, the cops told us that you were probably robbed and murdered, they gave all these statistics about female backpackers that disappear and they never find any trace..." her voice trailing off into tear filled hiccups.

"Hey, I phoned you from L.A airport a week ago! I did! And you had just got that new job! You told me so! What's this shit about six months? I was at home six months ago!" She demanded. Calypso's fingers stopped their twirling and left the cord hopelessly ensnared in them.

"No you weren't!" Mel yell/sobbed down the phone. "Oh God I thought you were dead..."

Calypso's mind was trying in vain to take this all in, when there was a crash, a scratching, some yelling and a lot of banging from the end of the telephone as the receiver was wrestled off Melody.

"CALLLLLLL!" screamed a new, slurred voice down the phone.

"RIA!" Calypso yelled back. "Hey sweetiepie, whazzup?"

"Cal, come home, I miss you, Mellie is sad. I don't like it when she's sad." Aria said in a babyish, bouncy voice.

Mind still spinning, Calypso tried to think.

"Ria, why is Mel sad?"

"She thinks you're gone. Gone to the place in the sky. And Ian and Ben and all the others are sad as well. I miss you, Cal. Come home. You missed our birthday, and you promised you would be home." She demanded, hurt.

"But...but...Ria, our birthday is in July."

"Yeah, and we had this big party and all my friends from school came, but it wasn't as good as last year because you weren't there. I wanted you to be there, and I waited all day and you didn't come and Mel started crying."

"But Ria, it's only January."

Aria laughed an eleven-year old laugh down the phone.

"No, silly, it's July. You are so silly sometimes."

"But..." Calypso tried to protest, but there was more scraping and banging and a new voice was sent down the phone line.

"CAL!"

"IAN!"

"FUCK!"

"Ian, what the hell is going on?"  
  
"Holy shit, I can't believe it's you!"  


"Cut the bullcrap, what's going on?" Calypso demanded angrily.

"Cal, you've been gone for over nine months now." An incredulous Ian said down the phone. 

"No I haven't. I've been gone two, three at the most." She spat back.

"Cal, I don't know what crazy shit you've got yourself into, but you HAVE been gone for six months. Where the fuck have you been?" he said, suddenly serious.

"I'm...I'm...I'm in England" she stuttered, mind refusing to believe what she was hearing.

"For six months? Without calling us? Or even a postcard? How about just saying you were alive?" he said, angrily. "Fuck, Mel has been out of her mind, and we've been trying to explain to Ria that you weren't coming back..."

"NO!" she yelled. "I phoned you a week ago! From the airport! In L.A!"

Ian was suddenly quiet.

"Cal, that was six months ago."

"No..." Calypso whispered. Little pips were coming in over her conversation.

"Something is going on here, Cal. Devil's Island fell yesterday, have you heard?" he said urgently.

"Yeah, that's why I rang. And I needed to tell you, I met an old friend today. Monohan. He chased me through London, but I got away."

Ian gave a hiss of indrawn breath. "Shit. Shit. Aaah, shit."

"Don't swear." Calypso said, pot calling the kettle black. "Is everyone okay?"

"Fine. Apart from being worried to death about you!" he replied. "Where exactly are you? Are you okay? Where are you staying?"

"I'm staying with a wizard, can you believe it? He's really cool, really nice. His name is Remus..."

There was a sudden click, and then the droning tone that meant her money had run out. 

**********

She ran up the stairs, didn't bother to take her shoes off at the front door. She dashed past Maria, who looked startled, and skidded around the corner into her room. She fell onto her knees in front of her pack, and frantically dragged the contents out, throwing them all across the floor.

Remus and Maria came hesitantly to the door.

"Calypso?"

She didn't reply, just kept hurling stuff out of her bag. 

"Calypso?"

"HAHHA!" she declared, and dragged out a small, navy-blue leather covered booklet with a silver coat-of-arms and the words, 'New Zealand Passport" emblazoned on the front.

She sat back on her haunches, and riffled through the pages, muttering to herself.

Remus, Maria and Snuffles, who was panting, quietly walked into the room to stand at her shoulders, looking at her like a bomb about to go off.

Calypso stopped at the second to last page, and ran her finger over to a purple stamp reading, 'Los Angeles Airport – 18 Jan'. 

"See? I told them!" she declared to no-one in particular. She flicked over the page, and looked at the next stamp. 'Heathrow Airport – 18 Jan' "See? January!" 

"Calypso, are you feeling okay?" asked Maria.

"Yesyesyesyes! I just need the paper. Where's that bag I brought back from London today?" she demanded, eyes wide open so the whites were showing.

"Uh...on your bed" Remus said cautiously.

Calypso leapt up, and dragged all the things she had thrown off her bed onto the floor, covering Snuffles in clothes. She grabbed the old carpet bag, ripped the latch open and thrust her arm in, dragging out a bunch of newspapers. She took the first one off the pile, and flipped it so she could read the byline.

Her face froze into a macabre smile, and she did not move.

"Calypso?"

"Calypso."

"Calypso!" 

She suddenly realized that Remus was shaking her shoulder, his voice coming from a long way away. She snapped back to reality.

"What's wrong?"

Maria was hovering over her like an expectant mother.

Calypso opened her mouth to speak, but found she could only let her jaw hang there. 

Remus shook her again, and she cleared her thoughts enough to show Remus the date on the newspaper.

Tuesday the 29th of July.

**********

*By now you all know the drill.

The best christmas present I could get right about now is heaps of reviews. I don't really care what they say – it's the thought that counts.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all! And probably HAPPY NEW YEAR as well.

And please please review.

Hugs all round, luv you all, wish you were here and all that jazz.

Merry Christmas!!!!!


	7. Default Chapter Title

__

No, I have not died. 

Sorry about the big gap between the last chapter and this one, but I have a good reason. It's a long story, beginning with relatives arriving and ending with relatives leaving. And me visiting beaches, and having fights with my dad and getting banned from the computer. 

I have an announcement to make – I got %55 in my Calc exam! As %45 is a pass, I am thrilled! Yaaaay! Thanks to everyone who wished me luck – bless your souls, it must have brought me that extra %10.

So tomorrow I am flying off to Summer School at Otago University for a week to play around with the Uni Science equipment. Cue evil laughter Muhahahahaha! I'm doing Microbiology, which sounds cool – we iscolate bacterium and stuff like that, I think. And tour the region, party, visit local factories and stuff like that. I hope I go to the CookieTime factory. Yummmmmmmmm...

Thank you again to Allylupin for beta-ing for me yet again, and changing all my tenses and erasing all those extra 'and' s I have in one sentence. For your patience and for taking the time out of your classes to go over my stuff with a flea comb, a thousand brownie points, a big bag of fairy dust and my eternal gratitude. Yes, I know all that is worth nothing in paper money.

Some people that pay attention to detail (also known as nitpickers) may notice that the spelling of Monohan changes to Monahan. That's because I spelt it wrong before. 

It's actually the last name of one of my brother's friends, and I chose it because it sounds nice and evil. The funny thing is, the real Monahan is an absolute teddy bear. His nickname is 'Sloppy', and he is immortalised in the yearbook as 'most likely - to get his hand stuck in a vending machine'. And trust me, that is an accurate observation.

Anyway, enough with my idle blathering, on with the story. That's why you clicked on this link anyway, wasn't it?

DISCLAIMER – all of JK Rowling's stuff belongs to her. I could never create anything that good, and I don't pretend to. All the rest belongs to me.

She was too shocked to speak. Or move. Or think even.

Slowly, one by one, the cogs in her brain started to lurch onto gear.

They were right.

Six months.

I have disappeared for six months.

Where the hell was I?

According to my memory, a week ago I got off the plane at Heathrow, and bussed and trained to Remus' house.

According to the calendar, that journey took me six whole months.

Six months.

Half a year.

Whoops.

Suddenly she was back in the real world again.

"Calypso, what is going on?" Remus demanded.

She looked up at his brown eyes, which were tired and worried.

"I just went and called home."

"Yes, and what happened?"

"They all think I am dead."

There was a stunned silence. Even Snuffles stopped panting.

"According to them, I have been gone for nine months. According to me, three months. There is a whole six month discrepancy there." Calypso said, blinking.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked softly.

"I mean, when I got off the plane at Heathrow, it was the 18th of January. I traveled for a week, and spent a few days here, and now it's the 29th of JULY!"

"Erm...what?"

Calypso looked Remus in the eye.

"Between the time I got off the plane and I arrived here, there is six months I can't remember." She said slowly. "Six months I can't account for. I KNOW that only a week ago I called home from L.A airport and talked to Mel about her new job. But Ian said that the last time they heard from me was six months ago, when I phoned from L.A airport and had that same converstation with Mel."

Remus looked quickly at Maria.

"Memory Charms, do you think?"

Maria walked over to Calypso, sat down on the bed beside her, and pulled out her wand. Suddenly, Calypso found it easy to believe she was a doctor.

"Open wide" she commanded.

"Your eyes, not your mouth."

Calypso tried not to blink as Maria shone the end of her wand into her eyes and peered around. She eventually sighed and muttered 'Nox'.

"No, no memory charms. I didn't expect there to be - Dr. Cortex would have picked it up straight away." Maria looked tired. 

"Then what the hell did I do for the last six months?" Calypso said, racking her brains for answers that did not come forth, and blinking to try and rid herself of those bright little dots in her vision.

You slept, mostly. Said a very familiar voice from the back of her head.

"Oh don't tell me you had a hand in this!" Calypso yelled, shocking all else in the room

If you don't want me to say I did, I won't then. 

I didn't. 

Happy now?

Don't be smart with me. So you did then? Why? Whywhywhywhy? 

Because I didn't want you in the South Pacific. Or running around in England just yet.

WHY?

The buzz made what could be translated into a sigh.

I have my reasons which I don't feel like sharing with you. Okay?

No, not okay. At all.

Can you stop being so emotional and just try and co-operate here for a few, ensey-weensey seconds?

Co-operate? Co-operate? How about YOU co-operate and get the hell out of my head?

Now, be nice. You slept a lot, and then at other times I borrowed your body to visit some places I used to live, and organize some things to happen at certain times.

YOU WHAT!?!?!?!

Borrowed your body, it continued, unruffled. Nice body to possess by the way. Very pretty and very fit. Reminds me of myself in my youth...

Bet you were a fat old pimply couch potato with no friends.

Be nice!

Get the hell out of my head, and don't you dare use my body again!

Babe, the buzz said rather harshly, I am running out of patience with you. I need you, and you need me. I am older, and very much wiser than you. I know what's going on, and you don't. I am in charge.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

Oh, so what are you going to do? continued the buzz, quite amused. Cut your own head off?

Shut up.

Listen, girly. We need to work together to defeat old Voldy. 

What if I don't want to?

Then he wins, and we all die. It snapped.

And with that, the buzz became silent.

Calypso opened her eyes.

"Well, I know what I did for the past six months. I slept, and that parasite in my head took over my body and went sight-seeing." She said calmly.

Maria and Remus looked at her, and then stared at each other.

"Erm..."

"Calypso, you sure you didn't get too much sun today?" 

"Just ASKING!!" Maria quickly defended herself as Calypso gave her an evil look.

"No, I didn't get too much sun or anything like that."

Calypso sighed. "Look, you believed me before when I didn't expect you to, so I guess I'm asking too much for you to believe two completely off-the-wall stories within a week." Calypso said tiredly.

"It's not that we don't believe you..."

Maria leant forward and looked Calypso straight in the eye. "It's just that there have been cases of people having spirits that they communicate with in their heads, and they were very very rare indeed. But no documented cases of those spirits taking over the person's body."

"Oh great, so this is all new to everyone."

Remus nodded.

In the silence that followed, Calypso thought hard for a few moments. 

"Uh...Remus? I think the Death Eaters that broke out of Devil's Island are coming to England."

Remus just gazed at her in a very schoolteacher-ish way.

"Why would you think that?" he said evenly.

Calypso swallowed.

"Well, it stands to reason, doesn't it? Voldy is supposed to have his base somewhere over here, and they would all come to visit and re-affirm their loyalty and have some catch-ups and ritual animal sacrifices and stuff like that, right?" she said a little too quickly.

Maria nodded.

"That's what we reckoned as well, minus the ritual animal sacrifices."

Remus was gazing at Calypso in a way that unnerved her to no end.

"Any other reason?" he said, offhandly, but not taking his eyes off her.

She twisted her hands in her lap under the t-shirt she was holding. What should she say? 'Why yes Remus! In fact, I met one today and he chased me through London but then I smoked some pot and got away. I can give you his name, description, phone number and date of birth if you want. I knew him quite well.' Uh no. Instead she felt her jaw opening and her voice, sound unconvincing even to her own ears saying,

"I had a dream last night about it."

Remus and Maria looked skeptical.

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Because I wasn't sure you see. I wanted to wait and see what was going on, read the papers and stuff before I said anything."

Maria seemed satisfied, but Remus wasn't. He kept looking at her with thoughtful, suspicious eyes. Eventually he looked away, but Calypso knew he wasn't convinced.

"You know, Calypso, if you had told us before now, we might have been able to do something about the breakout." He said accusingly.

"Oh, and you don't think I don't know that? You think I feel real good about that too?" she snapped back at him. She hated being nasty to Remus, but as the old saying goes, the best form of defense is attack.

He suddenly looked sad.

"I'm sorry" he said apologetically.

Calypso felt awful.

"No, don't be, I'm the one who should be sorry. God, I'm such a bitch sometimes..."

He gave her a lonely smile and patted her hand. 

"Don't worry about it." He said, and followed Maria out of her room.

Calypso was frustrated. How do I manage to screw up every conversation I enter? She wondered to herself. Aaaaaah, dammit. She got up off the bed, and started sorting out the mess she had made only a few minutes earlier, taking the time to think.

********

Remus beckoned Maria into the Lounge. Puzzled, she followed. Remus shut the door after them and turned to face Maria.

"She's not telling the truth." He told her.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Of course she's not. If she was, I'd be worried."

"What do you mean by that?"

Maria gave him one of those knowing looks. "She's running from something, that's obvious enough."

Remus gave her a blank stare.

"But as you are a male, it probably wasn't obvious enough for you." She continued with a sigh. 

"How do you know?"

"I'm a female. We see things that you slobs don't." Maria said, needling him.

"So, female-supreme, what is she running from then?" he asked.

"And why didn't you say anything back there?"

"The answer to your second question is...tact. Another virtue females have that males are sadly lacking in. And as for you first question..."

Maria looked at the closed door.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know for sure. But with the Death Eaters from Down Under loose things could get interesting."

"So are you suggesting she has ties with that crowd?"

"No, just thinking. Remus, there are so many things you don't notice. Dinner will be ready soon, and you just watch her. She's like a paranoid schizophrenic at the moment, looking behind her back and out the windows. Sneak up on her and tap her on the shoulder and I'll bet she'll jump out of her skin." Maria declared. "I don't know what she got up to in London today, but I'd bet it was interesting."

Remus thought for a few moments. "So, what should I do?"

"Nothing. Press her and she'll probably take off. Just wait, and I think she'll tell us in time. Whatever it is, I'm sure it has something to do with why she wasn't admitted to Wizarding School." Maria looked at the door again. "Gosh I want to know why. It nags at me when I go to sleep - what did she do?"

"Or didn't do" added Remus sagely. 

Maria nodded. "By the way, when are you going to tell her about Sirius? It's sort of mean leading her on like this."

Remus sighed. "Probably at the meeting on Thursday night. It's a long story, and since we have a few other new recruits I'll tell her then. I hate telling the tale over and over."

Maria raised one eyebrow. "She's not going to be happy when you tell her."

"Why?"

Maria threw her arms up in exasperation. "MEN!"

"No, why would she be upset?"

"Just think about it for a while, Remus darling. Just think." Maria said slowly, shaking her head.

Remus walked over to the window, looked up at the inky-blue sky littered with pin-prick stars, and gave a morose sigh. Maria gave his back a concerned look, and walked silently over to wrap her arms around his waist and lean her cheek on his shoulder. They had all been working too hard lately, ever since Dumbledore sent that first fateful owl to each of them, but the stress of their workload was beginning to show, especially on Remus.

"What's the matter, luv?" she asked, feeling his heartbeat resonate through his chest. Thub tub. Thub tub.

He gave no answer.

"Hmmm? Remus?" she inquired again

He gave a small, suppressed shudder.

Maria took her head off his shoulder and looked out into the night sky.

There, glowing eerily in a distant sun's gaze, was the moon, nearly full.

Maria stood silently for a few moments.

"It's tonight, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Remus didn't reply, but only gave a small nod.

"Snape sent me the potion. I drank it a few hours ago. Filthy stuff." He said eventually.

Maria closed her eyes and pulled Remus close to her, breathing in Remus' musky smell. Yes, it would be tonight, she though. That wolf-ish scent was getting stronger.

********

Remus followed Maria's suggestions and watched Calypso closely as they ate dinner - some spicy Italian dish with volumes of pasta sauce, one of Maria's creations - and saw that Maria was totally right. Again.

Calypso was jumpy. She was constantly flicking her eyes to the windows and the door between mouthfuls of food. Conversation was not strained, but maniacally fast and sharp.

"Sympathetic nervous system getting into gear" Maria whispered into Remus' ear. Remus didn't understand, but nodded anyway.

"She's taking deeper breaths, her hair is standing on end, she's sweating, focusing on distant objects, and her pupils are dilated." Maria finished, and leant back on her chair, like a doctor satisfied with making a good diagnosis. 

Remus took another bite of his dinner and kept a close watch on Calypso, marveling at how Maria could spot tiny things like hair standing on end.

********

Lying on her bed in the sticky summer night, Calypso reflected on how badly her afternoon had gone. It was totally clear that both Maria and Remus knew something was up - well, she hadn't made it half obvious, Calypso thought glumly. Stupid idiot. Getting all paranoid and worked up, she must have just screamed 'I'm worried about something' to all the others in the house.

Calypso battered her top sheet off and lay spread-eagled on the bed, sweating freely and staring at the ceiling.

Things had come to a climax - no, more accurately, a pit, a large, deep pit - when she was doing the dishes. Remus had crept up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, and she had over reacted. Calypso cringed as she thought about it. 

She couldn't help it, the sudden clasp on her shoulder froze her blood in her veins and her heart gave a sudden kick of panic. All she thought of was Monahan - well, it didn't help that she happened to be mulling over that very subject in her mind before Remus had touched her. Every nerve in her body screamed 'fight!' and without breathing, without thinking, without looking over her shoulder to see who it was, thanks to years of drilling and practice she had found herself automatically attacking Remus. It was quite easy - she simply had grabbed his shoulder and rammed his head into the edge of the sink.

"Ohmygod. Ohmygod. I am so incredibly sorry..." she had started to say, looking fearfully at the shell-shocked, dizzy Remus.

"Uhh..." he had said groggily, and turned his head to look around the room.

Calypso dragged him to his feet, blabbering away apologies hysterically.

"Holy crap!" Maria declared, running over. "What the hell did you do that for?" she accused Calypso angrily, checking the dazed Remus for injuries.

Calypso looked heartbroken. "I... I... I just... oh I'm so sorry" she finished lamely, face fallen. " I just overreacted I guess."

Maria looked up from her ministrations to give Calypso a look she did not particularly care for. It was not a look of hatred, anger or anything like that. Just a closed, knowing, somewhat pitying look that unnerved Calypso, who sat down to rid herself of a bad case of the shakes.

********

Calypso tried to find a comfortable spot on her bed, and failed. The air in her room was heavy and warm, thick and suffocating. She thrashed her arms around impatiently, but found no relief. Sighing, she sat up, blonde hair tumbling everywhere, and peeked out the window.

Outside, the night was cool and fresh. A slight breeze picked up seeds and played with them, while the inky blue sky sparkled with stars. The moon was dazzling bright, and illuminated the whole countryside.

Calypso turned and listened hard, trying to hear any noise from the other occupants of the house. It was as still as a tomb.

That was it. Calypso put one foot experimentally on the floor. Safe so far. She slowly transferred weight onto it, and quickly slithered out of bed to stand in her nightie in the middle of her room. She took another silent step - and another - and ano... 

A loud groan reverberated throughout her room and Calypso snatched her foot back, only for another miserable creak to be produced. She crouched over, grimacing, waiting for the alarm to be raised...

But all was silent. Breathing sighs of relief, Calypso took a few more careful steps over to her door and placed her hand on the doorknob. She waited heartbeats, listening for any sound in the hallway, but none came.

Slowly, inch by inch, she turned the brass handle, begging it not to squeak. Well oiled as it was, it rolled around smoothly and she swung the door open gradually, peeking out into the rest of the dark house.

Nothing.

Smiling to herself, she confidently reached out a leg to take a step out of her room, and 

walked into something solid.

The sudden, unexpected collision sent her reeling backwards, just about tripping up over the crocheted floor rug. Regaining her balance and her breath, she took a step back over to whatever had obstructed her. She reached out her hand and waved it around ahead of her as she reached the doorframe, and her fingertips brushed against something smooth and cold.

There, Calypso thought, and moved closer, running both hands curiously over the glossy surface. It seemed to be suspended in the doorframe, flowing from one edge of the wood to the other without any gap or crack. Calypso placed a palm upon the mystery substance and slowly leant her body weight upon it.

The invisible material stretched and flowed, letting her hand sink in, but not through. Where it was warping around her hand, it was reflecting silver moonlight in silken patterns, and then spat her hand out. Try as she might, Calypso could not break the semi-liquid barrier in her doorway.

She tried karate kicks, throwing her whole body against it and trying to burrow underneath it, only each time to have her limbs swallowed by the material and then bounced back out. It was like, she thought, someone had suspended an invisible trampoline in her doorframe. Or a spiders web. 

She stood there in her nightie, facing what appeared to be a wide open doorway and unable to get through it. Dammit, she thought. I want to get out of here and roam around outside!

Oh well, she added brightly. I'll just use the window.

Re-crossing her bedroom floor, avoiding the creaking floorboards, she opened the window as far as it could go, and threw one leg over the windowsill. Her toes dug into the rough red bricks cladding the outside of the house and Calypso got a single toehold in the mortar. She was just about to swing her other leg over and slither down when a sudden whisper broke through the still summer air.

"Psssst! Psssst! Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

Calypso froze. Aaaah, shit. Snapped, she thought. She looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

"Here! Here... I'm the mirror!" It whispered excitedly.

Calypso turned to face the mirror she had preened herself in front of that very morning.

"Hey, what's up? You talk?" she whispered back, curious.

"Yeahp." it replied with vigor. "Hey, don't try getting down that way, you'll only loose your toehold and take all the skin off your shins, knees, palms, elbows and chin. And you'll never get back up. It's a long way down" the mirror confided. "What you want to do is stand up in the window, lean out and reach across so you can grab the rope, use that to balance you as you walk along to the other side of the window, and shinny down the drainpipe."

Calypso scrambled up to stand on the windowsill, and leant out. There, swaying in the breeze was a raggedy piece of rope. Calypso grabbed its frayed ends and looked back inside to the mirror. 

"Excuse me, Mirror, but how exactly do you know all this?" she asked suspiciously.

"My name's Rorrim. How do I know? Oh gosh, all the times I saw Cain sneak out of his room to meet some girl or go riding his broomstick, and then I told Epsilony when she got old enough, and she went clubbing every night, or so it seemed, and..." Rorrim said, over-dramatically. 

Rorrim, Calypso decided, was a cliché blonde. Gossipy, brainless, tactless, but well meaning. Have to talk to this mirror when I get back.

"...and there was this time that Epsilony came home at six in the morning, and just as she was climbing up the drainpipe her mother was walking down the hallway to get her up for breakfast..." Rorrim was still talking away, not noticing that Calypso wasn't listening, but inspecting her escape route. 

It looked sturdy enough - she could do it, and admittedly it was better than her plan.

"Thanks!" Calypso whispered politely to Rorrim.

"No problem! Just one condition." It replied.

"And what's that?" asked Calypso, suddenly suspicious.

"You tell me ALL about what you got up to when you get back!" Rorrim said, in a happy, bubbly voice.

Blonde, Calypso thought scathingly. "Yeah, sure." She called out, and took a step out of the window, balancing carefully on the windowsill.

Edging along the sill was harder than it looked, and Calypso was eternally grateful for the rope, which she held onto for dear life. Three steps got her across to the other side of the window, and she reached out a hand to grab the spouting and gave it a shake. It seemed sturdy enough, she thought, and wrapped her leg around it and let go of the rope, which swung back and hit her in the head. Calypso swore quietly, threw the rope away from herself angrily and silently climbed down the drainpipe. She reached the ground right behind a large peach tree, and grabbed a large fruit to eat, as she was hungry. 

Remus had said she could help herself to food many times, but getting more food meant dealing with Pantry. Unused to living appliances, Calypso had in fact forgotten that Remus' kitchenware was enchanted, and had ambled into the kitchen and opened the pantry door to grab a bite to eat. Pantry, however, had not forgotten Calypso, and had promptly jammed her hand viscously in the door. 

Calypso rubbed her injured hand as she remembered, and took another bite of peach.

Fridge had offered her ice for her hand as she had hopped around the kitchen, hand between her knees, eyes watering. Hearing the kindly suggestion, Pantry had let rip with her tongue and gave poor Fridge a dressing down for offering assistance to the 'little foreign whore'. At that, Calypso kicked Pantry's left door hard and broken one of the louvers. Doors rattling, Pantry had shut up, but not for long. Every time Calypso entered the kitchen, ominous grumbling had resounded from over Pantry's corner of the room, which were ignored by all. 

Being outside felt good, but she needed to get further away to avoid waking up Remus and Maria. Calypso stalked silently along the edge of the house until she was at the overgrown back lawn. Wading through the thigh-high grasses and dock plants, she carefully climbed the style over the hedge, and started dodging prickles and piles of sheep poo in her bare feet and nightie flapping around her knees.

Calypso thought hard about the members of the household as she walked to the top of the next hill in the dark.

There was Remus - strange, sweet, fun, honest, secretive, haunted, yet loveable Remus. The guy who had given her a home after she had collapsed on his doorstep, no question asked. Who had taken her to hospital after the explosion at Peachgrove Village, visited her there, hooked her up with a job - with the illustrious Albus Dumbledore, no less! He had believed everything she had said, let her do anything, lent her his broomstick, taught her how to fly...but had locked her in her room tonight. And asked, if anything, too little questions.

Maria - laid-back, sarcastic, funny, full of life, yet sad and worried. Intelligent too - and Calypso knew she wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of Maria's tongue. The woman who radiated confidence, elegance and class, yet had a Coronation Street accent, with various Italian swear words and phrases thrown in when she got angry or frustrated. 

Snuffles - the most humanoid dog Calypso had ever come across. And the most fun, too. Calypso didn't know what to make of Remus' dog. Or Remus' relationship with Snuffles. It totally bamboozled her.

And now her. Calypso - the strange, temperamental, secretive Australian with impossible stories to explain incredible events. The Seer, now a Phoenix - well, as of Thursday. An uneducated witch. Banned from using magic, and she wouldn't tell anyone why.

What a madhouse.

Panting slightly, Calypso reached the top of the hill and looked out over the land. Illuminated in the moonlight, it stretched out for miles, rolling hills and hedges, bathed in a creamy glow. Calypso noticed what had to be a forest a few kilometers to her right. The sky was strewn with stars in a long milky band, twinkling and blinking cheerfully. To Calypso's horror, she could not identify them - the Northern Hemisphere stars were different from what she had studied every night from her bedroom window. She suddenly felt far from home.

Sitting down and staring at the sky, Calypso slowly orientated herself with the stars. She was very confused until she remembered that she had six months missing from her life that she was not accounting for. Once she had realized that, she found she could name many of the constellations.

Aries the Ram, Orion the Warrior, Centaurus the Centaur, Cygnys the Swan - ohh, the Northern Cross - Canis Minor the Lesser Dog, Cassiopeia the Lady in the Chair, Auriga the Charioteer, and ... that must be the Big Dipper! Calypso was pleased with herself. 

The darkness and silence was relaxing, and the fresh breeze tempting. Calypso could hear the woosh of grasses and the moans of trees as she sniffed the wind.

She guiltily glanced over her shoulder to the house nestled in the hill behind her. It was as quiet, homely and inviting as ever, and she felt a pang of regret at having to tell Remus and Maria all those lies. Oh well, she thought. Get on with it.

She took a few deep breaths, and relaxed as much as she could, closing her eyes and listening to her heartbeat. She let out a long sigh, and tried the spell.

Nothing happened.

She was stupid, she knew. At the end of a long day, trying the spell she had failed miserably many times before when she was fresh and energetic? Idiotic.

She tried again. 

All of a sudden, she felt a rush of tingling magic through her body, but it petered out as she messed up the spell in the surprise of it actually working. 

She opened her eyes, closed them, took a few more deep breaths, and tried again.

This time she was successful. A wonderful rush of sparks filled her veins, and ran from her fingers and toes, cascading through her arteries, up her arms and legs, flowing through her stomach and running up her neck. With a small cry of delight, the magic raced up the back of her neck, over her scalp and delightfully over her face. Her whole skin hummed for a mere instant, and the magic vanished. 

Calypso got to her four padded feet and stretched luxuriously, yawning widely to show ivory fangs. She sniffed the wind. This time the breeze was not just carrying a few smells - the night air was alive with scents. Her vision had gone from poor to as though she was wearing night-vision goggles. It was as clear as daylight to Calypso the Wolf. The hills were alive with movement and life. There was a flock of sheep far over to the left, but she was not hungry, thanks to the peach, and she ignored that scent. The breeze ruffled up her fur as she stood alert on the top of the hill, and filled her with vigor. She bunched muscular hindquarters and leapt, bounding down the hill and racing off into the night, silent as the wolf she was.

********

Panting, she reached the top of a ridge many miles from where she had changed form, and sat at the top imperiously to take in the view, plumed tail thumping the ground happily. 

She had only mastered the Animagus spell one month before her 17th birthday, but she still considered it her greatest achievement so far. It was difficult - incredibly difficult, actually. She would have never been able to do it without Ian, Ben and Mariyse's help. She could vividly remember sitting around the cauldron that last time and trying the spell, Ben coaching her through each step. They had all transformed for the first time in the last half-hour - all of the group but herself. And suddenly, after so many failures, the magic running through her body, she found herself with the fur and fangs of a predator. Namely, a Timber Wolf. Or a Grey Wolf. So fitting, she thought. 

Her fur was matted with grass seeds that had become ensnared in her glossy, silky coat as she was leaping around in the long grass, chasing moths and snapping at dandelion seeds, which were now stuck in her teeth. She had stalked a mouse for about half an hour just for fun, but did not move in for the kill. Even in wolf-form she still had some of her human thoughts, and she knew she would not appreciate digesting a mouse when she changed back. 

But loosing some of her human mind was the whole point. It was the other thing Calypso could do to hide from Monahan and his disgusting talent. Calypso looked around again to see rolling hills, waving grass and swaying trees all painted in a range of browns, navy-blues and grays. Her domain, and no-one to threaten it. 

Calypso threw her head back, exposing a soft, creamy throat and let loose a joyous howl.

"AAAAAARRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!"

Letting the note die from her throat, she lowered her head and, ears pricked, proudly listened to the breeze carry her song, echoing eerily off the hills for a few moments.

She leant back her head to repeat her performance, when an unexpected sound broke the stillness of the night.

"AHRROOOOOOOOOOW! ARR-AHHAROOOOOOOOOOOOL!" echoed off the hills.

Startled, Calypso crouched close to the dusty ground, ears flattened, and listened to the replying howl closely. She slowly got up to all four paws and tentatively gave an inquiring howl.

"ARROWWW?"

"HARRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!" was the friendly answer.

Invigorated, curious and mystified, Calypso continued howling back from the ridge, and the other wolf answered back eagerly.

It was male, middle-aged, Calypso thought. Alone - it was a sole voice in the summer night air. That was until she heard a bark. 

Wolves don't bark.

A wolf with a dog? She though. 

Curiosity overcame her sense of caution, and she started trotting down the ridgeline towards the forest, the source of the howls.

********

Sirius was somewhat worried. He knew that there was something wrong about having another wolf howling on the skyline, but his dog-ish brain could not work it out. He shook his head, frustrated. I'll work it out when I change back, he thought to himself. And besides, the howling had stopped and they had heard no more for the last ten minutes. 

He turned around just in time to see a wolf leap out of the bushes behind him, and quickly bounded to the side. Remus was fun to play with, now. Snape's potion, he had to grudgingly admit, was excellent. Over the last year, he had refined it to the point where Remus would change for a single night only, and then he would transform into a playful wolf, not an angry monster. 

Sirius returned the lunge, and knocked Remus over onto his back and tussled with him for a few minutes, snarling and growling good-naturedly. Soon it was apparent that the wolf had the upper hand in this little play-fight, and Sirius leapt out of the fray and galloped off, dodging trees and shrubs, Remus following. 

Suddenly Remus broke off the chase, nose in the air, sniffing. He lowered his snout and started moving off to the left, nose to the ground. 

Sirius felt a pang of apprehension. If Remus had picked up on a human scent, this game could turn nasty quite quickly. Sirius ran to reach Lupin's side, and muscled in on the trail. The wolf snapped at him, but it didn't matter. 

Sirius sighed with relief at the rabbit-scent. Even with Remus drinking Snape's Wolfsbane potion, Sirius knew he could still be a handful if a human got too near. 

Sirius decided to stalk the rabbit, too. In dog form, he enjoyed all the things dogs did - being patted, going for walks and chasing rabbits. In fact, chasing rabbits was absolutely brilliant. Nothing humans did compared to it, really. Humans didn't experience the thrill of the hunt often. 

Remus, as a wolf, had a better olfactory system than the dog and so led the way, Sirius close behind. Silently they stalked the unsuspecting rabbit over a few rises, in and out of trees to the edge of the forest. Sirius could feel his dog-blood fill with adrenaline as they closed in on the small mammal. 

The wolf's haunches ahead of him suddenly tensed, and his ears pricked forward. Lupin was staring intently on a small, brown rabbit, sitting serenely on the other side of the bush, cleaning its ears with neat, delicate movements. Sirius slowly lowered his body to the ground, ready to pounce, waiting for the wolf to take the lead. 

The rabbit heard a small movement, paused from it's grooming and looked over to where Sirius and Remus were crouched. Sirius could hardly contain himself, watching the rabbit wrinkle its nose, whiskers waggling in the air. Suddenly the rabbit saw a flash of luminescent eyes from behind the bush, and realized its predicament. Without hesitating, it leapt forward to flee.

That was the signal. Remus pushed off hard against the ground with powerful back legs, sending him flying over the bush and hard on the rabbit's heels. Sirius followed within split seconds. The rabbit dashed over the grasslands, zig-zagging madly to try and throw off the wolf behind him. Sirius ran out to the side, paws pounding over the dry grass, jumping thistles with ease. The rabbit dashed, panic-stricken to the nearest hedge and burrowed under, the canine pair swiftly following over the top.

Sirius was panting madly, heart racing, blood adrenaline-charged, and he was having the time of his life. Blood lust filled him, and he reached out his legs farther. The rabbit was getting the better of the dog and wolf, as it raced erratically over the fields with experience. The thrill of the hunt may have empowered the canines, but for the rabbit its life was on the line. That motivated more than adrenaline ever could.

The rabbit was gaining ground on the wolf and dog, and had worked out that the dog was on it's right hand side, so it made tracks for the left, up a hill littered with rabbit holes like Swiss cheese. The wolf and dog were just about to concede defeat as the brown rabbit expertly made for the closest habitable hole, when a large dark shape leapt soundlessly to land in front of the chosen rabbit hole, causing the rabbit to skid to halt, hastily reconsidering its options.

The sudden arrival of another wolf had both Sirius and Remus stunned for a few moments. Adrenaline had clouded their brains, giving the rabbit a few vital seconds to dash between the pair, quickly followed by the new wolf. As the pair dashed between them, Lupin and Black slowly got their canine brains into gear, and turned to follow them.

The new wolf was setting a furious pace, and was lithe enough on its feet to stay sufficiently close to the rabbit to make occasional snaps at the poor prey's back. This sent the rabbit into a frenzy - it was going flat-tack along the ground, the whites of its eyes showing.

Lupin and Black were off to the sides, and harried the rabbit back inwards whenever it made a desperate dash off at an angle. The new wolf, Sirius realized, was herding the bunny down a slight incline, and had managed to get quite close behind it. With a sudden snap of its jaws, it had grabbed the rabbit's back and tossed it, head over heels, down the slope.

Sirius chuckled dog-ishly to himself. The wolf was playing with the rabbit.

The game lasted until the new wolf, puffed, pulled up to a trot. Remus and Sirius wheeled around, slowing down and forgetting about the rabbit, to face the newcomer with interest. The new wolf cocked its head at them, puzzled.

The rabbit dashed to the nearest hole and thanked its lucky stars that the canines were only toying with its life.

Sirius gave the new wolf a hard look.

It was a timber she-wolf, gray in color. Her back was a steel gray, which faded to a snowy gray on its stomach, legs and throat. She would have been a beautiful specimen, but for the scars that littered her glossy coat.

The most impressive of those were a line of four clawmarks on the left side of her face, running from her ear to jowls, over the top of the eye and narrowly missing the eyeball and muzzle.

The wolf thumped her tail on the ground and cocked her head to the other side. Black-rimmed eyes gave the dog and wolf an appraising look.

********

Snuffles! Calypso thought. What's he doing here? The giant black dog had always mystified her with his bizarre behavior, but this was ridiculous. In fact, she though, this whole situation was ridiculous. Why did she think that? Her wolf brain couldn't work it out. Dealing with Snuffles gave her a wolf-headache, so she turned her attention to his companion.

A large wolf was looking back at her. Brown and cream, it looked familiar. Her wolf-brain couldn't work it out again. A sudden thought-memory floated back to her. It was from when she was lost on the road and had first met Snuffles. 

There are no wolves in Britain nowadays, she had though ironically.

Her wolf-brain struggled with the implications of this revelation, but failed. 

Musta been wrong, then. She finally came up with, satisfied.

Snuffles got to his feet, waving his tail in a friendly fashion. So did the brown wolf.

Calypso heaved herself to her paws and came cautiously over for a sniff.

********

It was nearly sunrise when Calypso finally sat down, only to be jumped from behind by Snuffles. She quickly rolled around on the grass, pinning him down, but instead of playfighting, she got off him and went a few meters away to sit down again. She was admittedly exhausted - she had an early start in London, a day of intense shopping and flying, and she had spent the last seven or so hours chasing small prey and rumbling with two other energetic canines. Her bed suddenly looked inviting. She let out a wolf-y sigh, and noticed that Snuffles was looking at the skyline. The sun was almost up.

Calypso flopped onto the ground, sending dust and grass seeds flying into the ever-lightening sky. She could still feel her blood pump around her body. She had lain there for a few minutes when a distressed cry from close by made her prick her ears up. Puzzled, she listened carefully.

All of a sudden, a miserable moan came from her left, followed by a howl of intense pain. Calypso leapt to her feet, startled. Again, there was another distressed cry coming from her right. Calypso had to help. She jogged over the lip of the hill to the animal in agony, and stumbled numbly to a halt.

There, writhing around on the grass was the brown wolf, Snuffles sitting close by, watching, with a sad look on his face. The thing that stunned Calypso was what was happening to the wolf. His skin was twitching, his limbs seemingly disjointed, and as she watched, he let out another mournful, choking howl. Then, in the space of an instant, his fur seemed to melt into pinks and blacks, his body grow and lengthen. Paws became hands, muzzle shrank into a nose. The howl morphed into a deep yell of agony. Calypso couldn't believe it. Liquid fur snapped taught into skin and plain black robes, and before her lay a rather white Remus Lupin. 

She was frozen still, bottom jaw hanging open.

Remus was a werewolf.

A werewolf.

No!

Her sweet Remus? A werewolf? Couldn't be!

But the proof was moaning on the ground in front of her paws.

She shook her head furiously, fur flying. But more shocks were in store. For Snuffles had gotten up off the ground and walked over to the now silent Remus. And suddenly, Snuffles wasn't standing there anymore. A large man was, with his back to Calypso. She made some choking noises, and the man turned to face her.

"Shoo!" he said in a clear British accent.

Sirius Black. 

Calypso, estranged from the magical community as she was, still recognized the most wanted man in recent history. Shoo-ing seemed to be a very good idea. She wheeled around and took off at a run, mind still boggling from what she had just seen, nearly falling over her own paws.

********

Sirius knelt over Remus and shook his shoulder tentatively.

"Moony?"

His reply was a groan.

"You allright, Remus?"

Remus opened his eyes and blinked a few times, and let out another moan.

Sirius slipped an arm under Lupin's shoulders and heaved him into a sitting position carefully. "Talk to me." he demanded.

Remus stared at the ground for a few moments, and Sirius was suddenly worried. Had this batch of wolfsbane potion gone bad? He wondered silently.

"I feel like I have the world's worst hangover" Remus finally said, and put a hand to his forehead, before letting out a laugh.

Sirius let out a laugh, and his shoulders slumped. He hadn't realized how tense he was. "You feeling well enough to fly back?" he asked, giving Remus a hand as he struggled to stand up.

Remus groaned again. "If we go really slowly." He said, with emphasis, still clutching his head.

********

Calypso sat on the ridge above Remus' house, watching the proceedings angrily through wolf-eyes. Remus and Snuffles - no, correction, SIRIUS BLACK, CONVICTED MASS MURDERER!!!!! - had just flown in very slowly on broomsticks, and met by Maria at the door, who had promptly bundled Remus off outside. Sirius, however, had paused just before entering the house and scanned the dark skyline. Without his dog vision, he could not spot Calypso nestled into the long grass. Spotting nothing, he turned around and closed the door behind him. 

She got up stiffly and walked along the top of the hill.

Of course those two canines weren't real animals. They were chasing a rabbit uphill - a big no-no. Even pups knew that rabbits, with their powerful hindquarters, had the upper hand running uphill but tripped and stumbled running down. 

And their method of hunting - pitiful. Real wolves work in relay teams.

Their behavior upon meeting her was bizzare - no signs of aggression, no signs of dominance. 

She should have realized it, she though morosely. Snuffles was an Animagus. Of course. Now that she knew, it was completely obvious. She growled to herself. 

She had even commented to herself that Snuffles was the most human-iod dog she had ever come across. That was because he WAS a human!!!!

Calypso gave a wolf-ish sneer, and lifted her head to howl again.

"ARRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!"

She lowered her head and looked at the house. A window was torn open and Maria's alarmed head popped out, looking around. Calypso felt somewhat sneakily satisfied, and loped off out of sight.

********

Maria carefully poured three drops of Strength Potion into the phial and held it at eye level, watching it slowly swirl around in the orange Rejuvenating Potion, before finally vanishing and turning the mixture purple.

"Right, drink this." She commanded, handing the phial to a still very pasty-looking Remus.

Remus sniffed the little bottle cautiously, and took a hesitant sip. He screwed up his face.

"Urrrrgh! This stuff tastes bloody awful!" he commented.

"Drink it all!" Maria warned him, eyebrows raised imperiously.

Remus sighed, and then winked at her, and threw the contents of the phial back and swallowed them in one single gulp, and slammed the phial down on the kitchen table. 

Maria gave him a shifty look, and Remus wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and gave a fake belch.

"Wherever did you learn to do that?" she accused him

"I taught him well." remarked Sirius craftily from the windowseat.

Fridge gave a small giggle.

"You aren't seriously intending going to work tomorrow are you, Remus?" Maria said, concerned, taking his temperature.

Remus nodded. "Honestly Maria, I don't know what Snape did with this batch of potion, but it's great. I just feel tired and a bit like I'm getting over a cold."

Sirius sighed. "You have to hand it to the man - he's good at what he does. He may be an absolute asshole, but he can brew potions like nothing on earth."

"Never thought I'd live to hear you compliment Snape, Sirius!" exclaimed Maria, taking the thermometer out of Remus' mouth and reading it. She sighed.

"Well, I'll see how you are in the morning. You don't have a temperature, but I don't want you getting ill. And you need a good night's sleep, too."

"Yes Mummy" said Remus smartly. "Can I have a kiss goodnight?"

Maria clipped him around the ear playfully.

"He's cured!" declared Sirius melodramatically, throwing his hands up into the air.

"That's it. You ARE going to work tomorrow." Maria said, chuckling. "You can annoy your workmates, and not Calypso."

Remus grunted happily, and winked at Sirius.

********

At that very moment, Calypso was standing on the window ledge, holding onto the drainpipe with one hand and frantically waving the other one around, trying to locate the rope, which was nowhere to be found.

"Aah crap." She said quietly. She had just spotted the rope - hooked up on something way over to the other side of the window. When it had thumped the back of her head when she was climbing out, she must had thrown it at just the right angle to snare itself on a little bit of nail poking out or something.

Calypso screwed her face up in disgust. She was stuck outside, when she was supposed to be inside, and morning was breaking. She let out a long breath, and knew she would just have to walk along the window ledge, rope or no rope.

She was just inching along the ledge on the tips of her toes, arms spread wide, cheek pressed hard against the cold glass, when Rorrim let out an muffled shriek.

"Hey! You'd better get in quick! They're up!" she hissed happily.

Calypso tried to ignore her as her fingers wrapped around the edge of the open window, and hung on for dear life. Slowly, she side-stepped her way over to the end and leapt inside. Brushing her hair from her face, she took a few moments to regain her breath.

"OI! Someone's coming down the hallway!" Rorrim silently screamed, bursting with excitement.

Calypso didn't stop to look, but just threw herself straight into her bed and pretended to be asleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure open her bedroom door a crack, look around, and then close it. She was just going to breathe a sigh of relief, when someone else came and did the same thing. 

Pretending to be asleep is very hard work. You have to totally relax, keep your eyelids all fluttery, keep your mouth slightly open, slow the speed of your breathing, make those little sleepy grunty noises, and thrash around disjointedly at random intervals. As it is such hard work, it's surprising that Calypso actually fell asleep while pretending to be asleep before the second person had even shut the door.

********

She was sitting on the back of the same dapple gray horse, on the sandy, savage beach again. The wind picked up her hair and threw it around tauntingly. 

Calypso was confused. I'm dreaming and I know it, she though to herself. Wonder if I should pinch myself.

She turned her horse around to see if that swirling mass of fear and loathing would come up the beach again, at the same time seeing the purple-black clouds looming overhead.

There, far in the distance was that rolling ball of misery and terror. Calypso wheeled her horse around and spurred it up into a gallop.

Ha ha, fixed you, she thought. With a headstart like this, it'll never catch me.

Galloping calmly down the hard sand, waves crashing on one side and echoing off the cliffs on the other, she risked a glance over her shoulder to check on where the terror-fog was. 

She couldn't believe it. It was only a few hundred meters behind her.

"GO!" she screamed in her horse's ear, panic kicking her in the stomach like a donkey.

But just like last time, the swirling mist caught up, even faster than before. It just reached out a hand, and this time grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and pulled her backward off her horse.

********

Calypso sat bolt upright in bed, sweating.

What is going on here? She though to herself. Oh well, write it in.

She reached out and fumbled sleepily with her book and ballpoint pen on her bedside table. Flicking it open to the correct page, she absently scribbled in her latest entry, and then slammed the book shut, and dumped it unceremoniously back on the table.

Calypso yawned, and squinting, looked dazedly out the window. It was well into the day, the sun was shining, birds were singing, but she couldn't care less. She closed her eyes again, flopping jelly-like back onto her bed, promptly going back to sleep.

********

Calypso was awoken again many hours later by her very hot right cheek. She tried opening her eyes, and found the sun had moved to shine into her bedroom, roasting her face. 

"Guuuuurg." She groaned, and threw up an arm to shield her face, but it was too late. She was awake. 

Reluctantly she dragged her bruise-covered body out of bed, stood in front of the mirror, picked up her wristwatch, flicked a sleepy glance at the time and did a double-take.

"WHAT? 2.28 PM?" she hollered.

"That's what you get for partying all night long!" said the mirror in a superior tone.

Calypso jumped in fright, dropping her watch. She had forgotten all about Rorrim.

"Oh shut up. I don't need someone telling me what I should have and should not have done right about now!" she snapped back irritably. Calypso grabbed a handful of clothes and marched into the bathroom to have a shower, leaving Rorrim spluttering with indignation.

********

Remus sat at his desk, surrounded by scraps of parchment and a wastepaper basket piled with screwed up balls of paper. He ran his hands through his graying hair and chewed on the end of his eagle-feather quill. He was frustrated beyond belief - tied to the desk for two weeks, doing paperwork and trying in vain to break codes.

"I hate paperwork!" he declared, throwing his quill down in exasperation.

"So do I!" A cherry voice rang out from the other side of the otherwise deserted room.

Remus sighed as Sirius sauntered over the room to his desk, carrying a whole stack of folders. 

"What's up, Moony?" he asked, dumping his armload on Remus' desk, making it rattle.

"I just can't break it!" he said angrily.

Sirius craned his neck around, trying to read what was on the scrunched up piece of yellowed parchment.

"I would like to help, but since I'm bloody awful at this sort of stuff, I won't." he said helpfully.

"Thanks, Sirius. It's just that..." he tailed off, sighing again.

"What?"

"I'm sure I've got it right - on the first line, at least. See? It makes sense. But as soon as you get to the next line, it's all utter balderdash." He said passionately.

Sirius studied the parchment for a few seconds, face blank.

"Look Remus," he said eventually. "You are the best at this sort of stuff. If you can't break it, no-one can."

Remus gave him a watery smile. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Put it in the 'too hard for anyone' tray, Lupin." Sirius said.

Remus picked up the parchment and dropped it with a flourish into a folder with many other similar pieces. He reached over and took another piece of paper off the top of his in-tray and set it down on front of him.

"Hey Sirius." He called, without looking up.

"Yeah?" Black replied, busy orchestrating six quills simultaneously writing out duplicates of reports.

"Need any help?"

Sirius shook his head. "I could do this with my eyes closed" he replied, not taking his eyes off the swishing quills.

It was all quiet for a few minutes, until Sirius had finished and laid his reports out to dry. He got up off his chair and came back over to Remus' desk, perching on the side.

"You know last night..." he began.

Remus nodded his head.

"That was a wolf we met, wasn't it?" he asked.

"I think so." Remus said slowly. "But..."

"...Wolves don't live in the wild in Britain any longer." Sirius finished for him.

They both thought for a while, silent. They could hear the faint hustle and bustle coming from Diagon Alley below drifting up through the stifling, unmoving air.

"You know what I reckon? I think that wolf was another unregistered Animagus." Sirius said eventually.

Remus gave Sirius a quick look. "It's possible, but the chances..."

"The amount of unregistered Animagi must be huge." Sirius continued. "The Ministry has had better things to do in the last twenty years or so than round up Anamagi."

"True" admitted Lupin.

"And you know what else I reckon?" Sirius said slyly. "Laugh if you will, but I think it was Calypso."

Remus didn't laugh, but looked thoughtful.

"Apart from Maria, she was the only other witch in the region, but we have three problems with that theory."

"Which are?" Sirius shot back.

" A: She doesn't know any spells. I know there is a complex potion brewing element, but another large part is transfiguration, remember?

B: How could have she gotten out of her room? I had that barrier charm over her doorway to stop her running into me while I was transformed. 

And, finally, C: That wolf was severely scarred. That means the witch was scarred as well, and I know as well as you do that Calypso has near perfect skin. Well, no claw scars on her face, anyway."

Sirius mulled it over for a while.

"You are right with B and C, but I think she knows more spells than she's letting on.

********

Calypso emerged from the shower feeling much better than she had fifteen minutes ago. She wondered (belatedly) for a second if Remus' bathroom had any enchanted objects in it - being perved at by a tap fitting didn't appeal to her at all.

She wandered into the kitchen and went to put her hand on the pantry door to get a bite to eat, and then snatched it back, remembering what happened last time. Pantry gave a sigh of disappointment as she walked over to Fridge.

"Anything to eat?" she inquired hopefully. 

"Geez, you're up late!" Fridge exclaimed. 

"Lazy bitch!" Pantry hissed quietly.

"But anyway, yeah, there's corned beef, salad stuff and bread in here if you want a sandwich." Fridge said, ignoring Pantry.

"Weird place to keep your bread, in the fridge." Calypso remarked as she dragged food from the fridge.

"Remus put it there. He realized you and Pantry don't really get on." Fridge said apologetically. "Oh, that's right! He left you a note on the kitchen table!"

Dumping the food on the bench, Calypso sat down to read Remus' letter.

********

Hi Calypso.

You are still asleep, so we have already left.

Help yourself to whatever you can find. The Comet is by the front door if you want to go back to London or just muck about on it. 

Will be home about sixish or so. Would you mind putting tea on if you are back in time? And Maria is having a colleague over for dinner as well, so cook for 3 plus Snuffles.

See ya later.

********

Calypso grinned wickedly. 

The rest of the day to do whatever she wanted.

Letter still in hand, she stretched luxuriously.

She knew what she was going to do.

__

So, yes, I know that is a weird way to finish off, but it leaves me with many options for the next chapter.

Thank you to all those great people who review – one day I will get around to mailing you all to tell you how wonderful you all are – but I can't see it happening any time soon.

So, make my day, or week by writing just a little bit about what you thought about my fic. Pleeeeeze!


	8. In which a few things are explained

__

Hi everyone!

Before I start my next chapter, I have to get a few things clear.

1) I do not do erotica or pedophilia. 

Therefore, Calypso is NOT, I repeat, NOT going to hook up with Sirius. 

Please, he is like, thirty-something, and she's 19!!!!!!! Anyone else see anything wrong with that? (Sorry!!!! to any people I disappoint here, or inadvertently insult) Oh, and the same goes for a Remus/Calypso situation. If, in the future, I feel Sirius needs a 'significant other' I'll create someone who is about thirty-something.

But as he is a wanted criminal, I don't reckon that will happen till his name is cleared. Or maybe not…plotline possibilities here…

2) Many people have commented that Calypso is getting to be a bit of a Mary-Sue – you know, an Animagus and a wolf. Cliche cliché cliché. 

Well, yes, I knew when I wrote it people would get that impression, but her being a wolf-person is essential in the plot. If you are confused, don't worry, so am I. 

No, but really, it's necessary for the storyline – which actually exists now! Dear Lord it has happened!

But thank you for the constructive criticism! 

__

Started school last Tuesday. I'm a big, bad seventh former this year! Yeeha! So there might be a bit of a delay before the next installment comes out – or maybe not, depending on how things go.

Once again, thanks to my splendiferous beta-reader, Allylupin! Words fail to describe...

And once again, all JK Rowling's stuff belongs solely to her. Please don't sue me – I have no money anyway. 

Without further ado, heregoes.

Calypso sprawled back on the couch and took a good look at the Lounge in Remus' house. It was the only room in the house she had never been into, for a variety or subtle reasons that she never had really thought about until now. 

It was probably because she had been forbidden to enter it when she had first arrived, and that her subconscious mind had labeled the door at the end of the hallway 'taboo'. Also because the kitchen was nice enough she had never felt compelled to find another room to mope around in. 

Such a pity, she though, to have only discovered this place now.

Where there weren't windows, there were bookshelves or paintings. There was not a patch of bare wall in the whole room. And best of all, in the middle of the Lounge was a coffee table and three large, squishy orange and purple sofas, which Calypso was contentedly draped across, enjoying the picturesque views out of the ranch sliders. 

She broke her gaze from the scenery and looked down at the list in her hand. 

THINGS I MUST DO TODAY, it read. 

#1 – talk to Buzz.

Calypso rearranged herself more comfortably and closed her eyes. 

__

Gudday buzz. I want to have a few words to you.

Really? the buzz sounded irritable.

__

Yes, really. I'll put this bluntly, because I really don't feel like spending any more time than I possible have to talking to you, so I'll make myself very clear.

Recently, my life has gone from queer to absolutely impossibly barmy. 

Every time I have a little conversation to you, I end up feeling very ripped off, and more confused than when I began. Not this time, honey. I want some answers, and you are going to give them to me. She demanded. 

Oh really. I've got news for you. We both know who's in charge here – me. And since I don't feel like answering any questions, you can go jump. The buzz was not in a good mood, and Calypso thought what she was going to say next would not improve the buzz's disposition.

Well, love, if you don't, I'm going down to the village and I'll find a young priest, an old priest, some incense, a pile of candles and a set of bells. Calypso thought smugly.

__

You wouldn't! The buzz hissed

__

Just try me, Calypso thought evilly. _I'd just love to get an exorcism and be rid of you forever. _

There was a long silence.

__

Shit. The Buzz said eventually. _You got me there. _

Calypso grinned broadly. 

__

Right. The first thing I want to know, is your name.

Why? The buzz asked sullenly.

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghos...

Alright! Fine! Just don't do that again! 

I want to know your name, sweetie, because I feel really stupid calling you 'buzz' even when you don't buzz any more. Okay?

There was another pause.

__

Fine, the buzz sighed, _but I warn you, this is not the way I would have wanted to do things._

You mean, you would rather be manipulating me, not the other way around? Calypso said slyly.

My name, the buzz said curtly, _is Virginia. _

Great. That's better than 'buzz'. 

Virginia made a sulky grunt.

__

Right then Virginia, tell me a bit about yourself.

Why? It's of little consequence! She snapped.

Because if there is someone living in my head, I'd like to know a little bit about them. The bare bones will do.

There was silence.

__

I'll help you get started. Calypso said helpfully. _You are English?_

Yes. How did you know?

Your accent. 

Oh. 

Well, Virginia started reluctantly, _you are right, I was English. But after I finished at Hogwarts I immigrated to America. _

When was this?

I came over on a ship with some pilgrims in 1620, but I ditched them pretty fast. I hate religious nutters. I was actually wanting to find some Indian Shaman to study from, so I Apparated into Indian Territory, and ended up living with the tribe. 

Which one?

It doesn't matter, Virginia replied tetchilly.

__

Anyway, it was a great life, all the Indians respected me, I got married, had kids, lived in paradise, etc etc. You get the hint?

Yeah, that's fine.

Question number two – why the hell are you in my head?

Virginia seemed to perk up a bit. _Well, when I was with the Indians, I had lots of worrying dreams about the future. About now. I knew that I had to help, to share my knowledge, to help in the fight, but there was a slight problem. A problem of about 400 years, give or take a few._

Oh.

So I set myself up to get into your head. You see, I can direct you, and therefore fight Voldemort. 

So what am I going to do?

For god's sakes! You are a seer, are you not?

Yes!

Then you know the consequences of knowing the future!

Yeah!

And therefore, you understand why I'm not telling you!

There was a long pause while Calypso thought this over.

__

I 'spose you're right. She said reluctantly.

Good, Virginia said smugly._ Any more questions?_

Yes.

Why me?

I can only reside in the minds of another Seer.

Okay then. 

Why did you hibernate me for six months?

Because I know the future. If you had stayed in Australasia, certain things would have happened that would be...detrimental to our cause. The same if you were in England. So to save time and energy, I just made you sleep through it all.

And what about you possessing my body? Huh?

Don't worry about that, it was all for your own good, Virginia said dismissivly. 

How the hell could being possessed be good for me? Calypso shot back furiously. 

Have you ever wondered why your evil little friend Monahan hasn't found you yet?

Calypso didn't reply. 

__

Because, darling, I have a slight grip on your mind all the time now. Tainted you thoughwaves, so to speak. So stop worrying over that little dementor-spawn, and get on with the job.

Which is?

God dammit! Virginia exploded. _How much of an idiot are you? Here I am, saying my purpose here was to fight Voldemort, you have joined the Phoenixes as a Seer, and you are asking me what your job is!_

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF…

Sorry! Sorry!

Just try and be nice and patient, okay?

Another question – I've been having a repetitive dream lately, and I'm buggered if I know what it means. 

Ah ha. The one on horseback?

Yeah, that one!

Have you noticed anything funny about that dream?

Kind of. I know I'm dreaming.

And you can control what you do in that dream.

I'm confused.

Yes, with an intellect as tiny as yours, I'd expect you to be.

Haha.

Calypso, try and do things different to obtain a different ending to that dream.

That is no help whatever.

It's all I can do. You know the rules of Divination. Any further questions?

Yeah. I am living with a werewolf and a convicted mass murderer on the run. Why?

Because they are very valuable allies. Trust them. Anything else?

Calypso thought hard. 

__

Nope. But don't plan any extended holidays, I'll probably want to talk to you again soon.

Thank you for your gracious co-operation, she added sarcastically.

Virginia disappeared from her mind with a very rude remark.

Calypso opened her eyes and stretched, yawning.

A rather profitable conversation, she thought.

She gazed around the room and looked longingly at the numerous spell books stacked on the bookshelves, gold titles on the spines glittering seductively. 

She was sitting in the middle of a room filled with spellbooks, more than she ever had dared to imagine at her disposal, and what was she going to do?

#2 – talk to Rorrim.

Calypso wiggled her bum muscles to try and stop them from going to sleep.

She had entered her room, apologized to Rorrim for being rude before, and had asked very simply who owned the house.

That was over half an hour ago, and those were the last words she had said. 

Calypso was a blonde herself, but she thought to herself that Rorrim was the epiphany of blondes in the blonde jokes. She took a deep breath and cup into Rorrim's gossiping.

"Hey, I'd love to stay and talk some more, but I have to go and make tea, and do some crystal-gazing and jump off a bridge, okay? Awfully sorry, but you know…"

"Oh, that's fine! It was wonderful talking to you, though. Come back soon!" Rorrim said cheerfully.

"I will!" Calypso called as she walked out of the room. "As soon as hell freezes over!"

"Great!" Called Rorrim happily.

Idiot, Calypso thought. Still, Rorrim had provided her with some good information between all the pithy gossip.

The house had belonged to Remus' parents, Graham and Cassie Lupin. They had three children – the oldest, a boy called Cain, then a gap of about five years till Remus, and a year later, a girl, Epsilon, nicknamed Epsilony. 

Cain had been an intelligent, charming boy, a top wizard, but had tragically disappeared under suspicious circumstances when he was about twenty, never to be heard from again.

Epsilon was also a brilliant student, and with a sweet personality had many friends. A top Auror, she had married a workmate, Anthony Bones, and had one child, a girl, before both she and her partner were murdered by Lord Voldemort.

Shortly after, Graham and Cassie were also killed by the same man. 

In all, Calypso thought, it was a tragic tale. 

At exactly the same time Calypso was making discreet inquiries into Remus' life, he was doing the same into hers.

The Ministry of Magic is made up of many different offices, and Remus was sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the Department for International Inquiries, situated on the eighth floor of the Ministry building in Diagon Alley.

Like most offices, they were practical, not stylish, and the drab walls were decorated by whoever occupied the office.

Remus had nothing interesting to look at apart from a Gilderoy Lockhart Special Edition Calendar and Gilderoy Lockhart Colour Posters – all autographed. The sight of Gilderoy Lockhart's award-winning smile and perfectly manicured hair sickened Remus, so instead he investigated, with his wand, the bubblegum stuck to the bottom of the desk until the secretary came back.

Remus looked up expectantly as Loretta Lukkasen strode back into the office, heels clicking, arms filled with sheets of parchment, brown hair frizzy and her eyes puzzled behind her chunky, horn-rimmed black glasses. 

"Lupin, who the hell are you investigating?" she asked immediately. 

Remus blinked.

"A…a prospective workmate" he said, suspiciously.

Loretta sat down at her swivel chair and started shuffling through the sheets of parchment littering the desktop.

"Well, I'd say don't hire her." She said abruptly. "I couldn't even find out what her age is - everything is surrounded in red tape."

"Really?" Remus murmured, thinking hard.

"And not just any red tape, either," Loretta continued. "Level Alpha authorization is required to get into the files I needed. The only people who have Level Alpha authorization are the Ministers of Magic themselves. Do you know what that means?' she asked, not waiting for an answer.

"One huge cover-up. Lupin, what sort of shitheap are you trying to dig into?" 

Calypso was scrubbing the last of the pots she had used to make dinner when Pantry finally had screamed herself into silence. 

Calypso knew that she would have to use the supplies in the pantry if she was going to make an edible dinner, and that meant Pantry's complete co-operation. 

Which didn't look likely in Calypso's lifetime.

Calypso had solved the problem by walking past Pantry very calmly, and before the enchanted furniture knew what had happened, she had whipped Pantry open and jammed a wedge under her left door. At that, Pantry had made her objection well known to the whole region.

Calypso had run out the door, ears throbbing, found a pair of earmuffs in the garden shed, and had blissfully cooked while Pantry futilely yelled obscenities at her, and Fridge tried hopelessly to calm Pantry down.

Now silently fuming, Pantry sat in the corner like a black hole, radiating anger and resentment. Pantrys bad mood didn't worry Calypso in the slightest, as she checked on the food in the oven and left the kitchen for the serenity of the lounge. 

"Ohhhhhhhhh…." She let out a noise of pure delight as she slowly walked around the room, eyes wide, one hand trailing over the cool spines of leather-bound spellbooks and dusty paper-backs. Never, had she ever believed that she would be in this situation. Only in her dreams had she ever had access to so many spellbooks, and when she woke up she would mope around miserably, knowing those dreams would never become reality - they were not future-telling dreams, just figments of her imagination.

Her fingers flitted over _Incredible Beings, _by Sonny Kivell_, Studies of Vampires_, by Penn Sylvania, _A Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, by _Gretchen Fogelberg.

No, start small, she thought logically, finally pulling herself out of her daydream.

She scanned the walls until she found what looked like old textbooks in one far corner. 

Grabbing the whole lot of battered books off the shelf, she dumped them onto the coffee table, curled up on an orange and purple couch and began to read.

She had flicked through _The Standard Book of Spells,_ grades 1, 2 and 3, (which she read before) had ignored _Magical Theory, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_, and _Magical Draughts and Potions_, (which she all knew perfectly) and was just starting to memorize _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ when another title caught her eye.

__

Unfogging the Future. 

It was a very dog-eared paperback book – well used, Calypso thought. She dropped the _Guide to Transfiguration_ and grabbed _Unfogging the Future_ with relish.

Opening it up, she was very disappointed. 

The book was dog-eared not due to studious use, but because of the laborious construction of flick-comics drawn in every corner of the textbook. Calypso counted six separate cartoons – one in the top corner, the middle and the bottom, and then on the other side of the page. The book was covered with graffiti, ranging from notes such as 

'See you after class on the Quiddich pitch'

to

'Lucius Malfoy should be castrated'

to 

'James rulz!'

Fascinated, Calypso put her thumb on the corner of the pages and rapidly flicked through the pages, watching the pencil drawings move.

One was of a smiley face that stuck it's tongue out and winked, another of a broomstick that did a loop-the-loop, a third of a horse or deer running elegantly over meadows, and a disturbing one of a dog ripping the leg off a stick figure, labeled Severus Snape.

Another one was a pencil that slowly wrote 'hello!'. A bird flapped its wings, and the sun rose and set.

Obviously, Remus had found Divination boring.

Calypso turned back to the start of the book and started reading the actual lessons between the graffiti, starting with tealeaf reading.

The air was chilly and carried the threat of evil in the castle where Octavia stood. Yet, she was not shaking from fear or cold – but from joyful anticipation. 

She raised her head from the deep bow she had delivered to the man standing on the dais, and her eyes clouded over with reverence. 

He was a commanding figure, tall and thin, draped in ink black robes and a wand lazily in his hand. All eyes were upon him, but his blood-red eyes were turned upon Octavia. 

"Come forth, Octavia." He said quietly, but the amphitheater was so silent the words traveled over the oppressive stillness. To Octavia, the words were smooth as butter and milk – to any other observer, they would have been harsh and forbidding.

Trembling with delight, she walked forward to the man and fluidly got down on one knee and kissed his hand. 

"It's been a long time, Octavia. A long time, and you have waited. All of your tribe have waited." He said in a voice that was filled with power and cruelty.

"For you, my Lord, I would wait forever." Octavia murmured back submissively. 

Lord Voldemort gave a harsh laugh. "Graceful and demure. Oh, yes, you will do well!" His red eyes opened wider and looked around the two circles of black-robed wizards and witches – one circle his own tribe from England, including Lucius Malfoy, who was working hard to keep from showing his anger.

Lucius had worked hard to gain leadership of the Death Eaters in the early days. It had been difficult, but the rewards of being #2 to Lord Voldemort were fantastic. When his Lord was defeated by that little soon-to-be-dead twit, Harry Potter, Lucius had cunningly lied his way out of trouble, and gained power in the Ministry and was working as the top dog in the Dark Arts Underworld. It was a good life, but not the one he wanted. 

When the Dark Mark imprinted into his arm began to burn, his heart leapt as he knew that once again he would become the leader of the fearsome Death Eaters, second only to the Lord himself, and second most feared wizard in history.

But that was before Peter Pettigrew came into the picture. 

Pettigrew, the spineless double-crosser. Weak, timid and brainless, Lucius never regarded him as a threat to his powerbase. 

Wormtail, a leader? Never. 

But that was before the Silver Hand - the hand that changed Pettigrew forever. It was a gift from Lord Voldemort, filled with Dark Magic and powerful…so powerful. 

Almost overnight, Lucius had found himself deposed of as leader of the Death Eaters, relegated to #3 spot by Rat-boy. Who was now a monster: cunning, brutal, strong, unforgiving…

And now, before his very eyes, Lucius watched himself relegated to #4 as the Australian woman gazed into Lord Voldemort's eyes with rapture. He shook himself out of it as his Lord turned to address the whole crowd gathered. 

"My followers, today is a happy day indeed, for here with us, we have our freed brothers and sisters," he said, gesturing to the second ring of black-robed people, who bowed their heads graciously. 

"Unlike you cowards," Voldemort hissed, "They have all spent long years in prison for me, instead of running, hiding or lying."

The first circle flinched, and the second sneered. 

"And now that I have freed them from Devil's Island, we have a great task to accomplish together. One that I have no doubt we shall succeed in, because the Australasian Death Eaters have never failed me."

Calypso saw herself standing in the middle of a forest.

Which she was not concerned about.

From behind a tree leapt Peter Pan.

Which she also was not concerned about. 

She watched herself pick up a shiny red apple from a basket on the ground and absently balanced it on the top of her head. That was fine.

But she did start getting worried when Peter Pan pulled a bow and arrow out from behind his back, and lined it up with the apple sitting seductively close to her brain.

She cringed involuntarily as she saw the arrow whistle close to her own head, and explode the apple into a shower of sticky, sugary shards.

Peter Pan flashed her a fairy-dust filled grin, thought happy thoughts and flew up into the sky, green leggings bright against the blue sky.

Weird, Calypso thought. But it wasn't over yet. From behind the same tree Peter Pan had just jumped out of, came Matt from Digimon.

What the hell? Calypso thought. 

She watched herself calmly take another apple from the basket and place it on her head while Matt aimed, and shot the piece of fruit cleanly off her head, pinning it to the tree behind her. Matt gave her a secretive smile, and walked off into the distance.

Calypso didn't have time to watch where he went to, as from behind the tree came no less than Vegeta from Dragonball Z. The sinister looking Saiyan also produced a bow and arrow and shot the apple off the top of her head with relative ease before stalking off. 

Mist rolled in from the edges of her vision, and quickly obscured all she could see. 

Calypso leant back from her rapidly clouding crystal ball and sighed, mind humming. 

What was that? She thought desperately. Her mind came up with nothing apart from the fact that she missed television. 

She had developed a cramp in her neck from all the crystal-gazing, so she got up off the soft couch, went out the wide open ranch sliders to stand in the garden and do some stretches.

The day, Remus thought, couldn't get any worse.

He was wrong, but thankfully didn't know that at that present point in time. 

All he knew was that he hated paperwork, and he had failed to crack any codes at all, despite spending the day hunched over parchments, trying one solution after another. 

At least dinner wasn't burnt, he thought. A delicious smell reached his nostrils as he kicked off his boots at the front door and plodded inside, closely followed by Maria and Neil Johnson, her partner. Sirius (in dog form) had ran ahead, and now came gallumphing down the hallway to meet the others. Sirius suddenly changed into his human form with a small 'pop'. 

He gave Remus a white-toothed, cheeky grin. 

"Sirius!" Remus hissed. "Are you mad? Calypso's here, and…" 

Sirius gave him no time to finish. He dramatically held up one finger and put it to his lips, and beckoned for the others to follow him. Mystified, they did so, Sirius tip-toeing down the hallway to the lounge.

There, curled up, lying on the purple and orange couch was a sleeping Calypso, golden hair spread out over the bright fabric, frowning and twitching slightly in her sleep. Like a dog chasing rabbits in its sleep, Remus thought ironically. 

Sirius leant on the back of the couch, studying Calypso intently. 

"And here's the interesting thing." He declared, and to the horror of all the rest, he reached over and poked Calypso hard in the ribs.

"SIRIUS!" Maria exclaimed angrily. "Don't do that!"

Sirius gave Maria a very superior look.

"She won't wake up, no matter what you do. Look, watch…" he said, and jabbed Calypso roughly a few more times. She didn't even blink. "I've been trying for a few minutes. She's absolutely coma-d out." The others stared at him, and started to gather around.

"I reckon," he said lazily, as Neil, Maria and Remus started prodding the inert Calypso themselves, "she won't wake up, even if I dump a bucket of cold water over her."

"No-one suggest he try it" Remus warned the others.

Sirius looked hurt. "Would I ever?" 

"Fourth year, about three weeks before Christmas. You wanted to test whether I was just sleeping, or dead, if I remember correctly." Remus said lightly.

This stopped Sirius. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You were just sleeping after all." He said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Hey Remus, are her irises always white?" asked a deep voice from the across the room.

Neil Johnson was peering into Calypso's sleeping eyes with scientific interest.

"No…Remus said slowly, walking over. "They're usually blue-grey, but they went white before when I saw her crystal-gaze when she first arrived here." 

"No way…" Neil let Calypso's eyelid drop. "You must be joking. She really crystal-gazed?" 

Remus nodded, and the doctor excitedly had another look at Calypso's eyes.

"Incredible…" he muttered.

"What do we do?" Sirius asked with interest.

"NOT drop a bucket of cold water over her, it that's what you're thinking, Sirius." Remus shot.

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but Maria cut in. 

"Just let her sleep it off, I suppose. I think she's having a vision or a dream."

"How d'ya know?" Sirius asked, still stabbing Calypso in the ribs.

Maria waved the copy of _Unfogging the Future_, open to a very graffiti-d page in his nose.

"Because, Sirius, I wasted a lot of time paying attention in Div." 

In fact, Maria was right – Calypso was having a dream.

She was sitting in a dingy, old-fashioned schoolroom, at a double wooden desk – the type with sloping flip-up lids, that you had to share with another person.

The boy next to her was scribbling something down on parchment, using a feather quill instead of paper and pen. Calypso fixed her gaze on him.

He was about fourteen, pale skinned and with silver-blonde hair, and the black robes he was wearing did nothing for his sickly complexion. Calypso leant over to try and see what he was writing.

__

The Dark Lord Most High, 

Your loyal subjects are now all informed of the port-key for the next meeting place, and I am fixing that matter up with the Magical Transportation Office as we speak. Rest assured, my Lord, as usual there will be no trace.

Intriuged, Calypso leant further over to see more.

I have a shortlist of possible new recruits into our Eater tribe. All are members of DAYM and have my complete…

The quill had just scratched out the last few letters when a cane came down with an almighty THWACK just in front of Calypso's fingertips, making her body convulse with fright.

"GEEZ!" she gasped, heart pounding, and looked up at the fierce cane-bearer.

The woman was garbed in the oddest assortment of clothes Calypso had ever seen. A long black cloak covered an America Indian rawhide dress and delicate 18th century button-up boots peeked out from beneath. The woman wore a pointed black hat, and a hard expression. Brown eyebrows narrowed at Calypso, and the cane went sailing backwards, swishing, to land with another crack on the blackboard.

"Read it!" she barked.

Gulping, Calypso did so.

It was math – all about Sequences and Series, and insanely dull.

Suddenly the cane crashed into her desk again.

"You'll need a calculator for this one" the teacher said, and pointed her cane at the boy sitting next to her. Calypso turned around to read the rest of the letter, only to find that she couldn't understand it anymore. It was all in gibberish, and the pale boy kept writing with a maniacal glint in his eyes. 

Suddenly, the classroom swirled and faded around her, and Calypso felt cold wooden floors turn to sand, and the seat disappear from under her. She fell with a muted thump into the beach.

Hurriedly sitting up, she rubbed her sandy behind and frantically looked around her.

The same bloody beach, she though. Thundering waves, grey sea and purple clouds. A slight whinny from behind her made her spin around. 

There, patiently waiting, was her grey horse.

But this time, instead of leaping on, Calypso slapped it hard on the rump. Startled, the horse took off down the beach, and Calypso started running.

Do things differently, Virginia said. So I'm doing things differently.

Calypso must have run for half an hour, chest heaving, and getting sudden, shooting pains in her ribs, before she looked behind her. Rolling along quite happily was that swirling vortex of fear, only 400 meters off. With a fresh surge of sweat, she ran faster, zigzagging frantically across the sand, air cold and dry in her sore lungs.

But nevertheless, the black mist caught up with her, and swept around her, even as she screamed… 

Dinner, Calypso thought pensively, was quite an interesting affair.

When she had finally stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, hair all over her face, there was another person with them. He was a large, solidly built man in his late thirties or early forties ,with roasted coffee-bean colored skin and a shaven head. 

"This," Maria had introduced them, "is Neil Johnson, my partner."

Neil had shook Calypso's hand, and dwarfed it easily. Neil, Calypso discovered, wasn't a man of many words, but when he said something, everyone listened. No, that wasn't right, she thought again. He thought about what he had to say before he would say it, that was all.

They had been eating and talking pleasantly over dinner, Pantry still rumbling darkly, until Calypso asked what breed of dog Snuffles was. 

Remus' fork stopped on the way to his mouth.

"Erm…don't know for sure, actually. So Maria, how was work?" he asked, changing the subject.

"So he's a mongrel then?" Calypso asked nastily, pushing carrots around with her fork, not taking her eyes off the dog sitting opposite her at the table.

Snuffles growled.

"Uh, nothing really happened. Reconnaissance is really boring, even with Neil's disgusting jokes." Maria said, trying in vain to steer conversation away from Sirius. "Salt please, Calypso."

"You know," Calypso continued, pushing the salt over to Maria without looking, "he sorta looks like a cross between a Doberman and an German Shepherd."

"Yeah, Recon is just sitting in Diagon Alley picking up gossip. I don't know about Maria, but gossip doesn't thrill me" Neil said quickly.

"Or maybe, a Rottie and a Black Labrador. Or a Collie perhaps, with that long coat." Calypso rested her gaze firmly on Snuffles, who looked away.

"I'm sure it's much more interesting than the Office shift. I can't stand paperwork." Remus continued, the beans on his fork abandoned.

"I'm just guessing here, but how about a cross between Lisa Fergesson and Mike Black?" Calypso said, voice dripping with sarcasam.

"I've never actually seen the offspring, a 'Sirius Black', but from the photos I've seen, a male specimen in his mid thirties should look just like your dear little Snuffles."

Conversation ground to a rocky halt.

Knives and forks clinked as they were placed into their plates and the users glanced at each other nervously. Remus licked his lips, and Maria grimaced at Neil, who looked to the ceiling. 

"Whattya say, am I right?" Calypso said sweetly, still staring at Snuffles.

A rather uncomfortable silence filled the kitchen, which was broken after short while by Fridge, going 'Ooooooooooo…'

__

So everyone now, please write a sentence or two about what you liked and what you hated in the little box provided below. I especially like knowing what you DIDN'T like – it makes me think about what I have to work harder at.

So please review! You may get no money, but you will get my undying gratitude! 


	9. Diagon Alley

__

Hi everyone!

Okay, I have noticed that my author's notes are a little lengthy, so I'll stop that.

I meant for more stuff happen in this chapter – but it all got a little long, and I know how annoying huuuuge chapters that you can't read in one sitting are. 

Oh, don't you just love chaptering? I haven't lost any reviews, so I love it.

Hey, since I hate my titles, I have come up with an idea.

It's called 'Name Sorceress's Story' competition. I am so bad at making up titles, I'm going to have to beg for other people's ideas. So either send them to me, or put them in the review box (accompanied by your review, of course!) I welcome all suggestions, and I'm currently thinking up a prize.

Once again, thanks to Allylupin for weeding out all my typing errors etc. You are an angel.

Disclaimer – All JK's stuff is hers. I could never presume to credit creating something that good to myself.

--------------------

The silence echoed in the kitchen.

Abruptly, Calypso stood up and aggressively addressed the others. "Oh, come on, I know Sirius hasn't killed anyone…yet…"she added thoughtfully.

"I'm sick of this whole pretending Sirius is a dog caper. It gets tiring after a while."

Calypso stared at Remus. "I'm not going to turn him in or anything."

There was a slight 'pop' from the chair opposite her, and sitting there was the infamous, dashing, cavalier, cheeky and 'Wizard Watch's #1 wanted criminal', Sirius Black.

"You owe me a Galleon, Remus. Told ya she wouldn't flip." He said lazily, leaning back on his chair.

At this calm statement, the others suddenly all started talking at once. 

"What are we going to do now?" Remus said miserably to the others.

"How did you work it out?" Was the curious question from Maria

"Looks like she's more intelligent than you gave her credit for." Neil said, with a wry chuckle.

"What are we going to do now? " Calypso said slowly, head to the side and blinking. "Have dessert, I think." 

--------------------

"It's MY half of the couch you have your toes on!"

"Oi! That's my half you have your arm over!"

"Don't you kick me!"

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Don't you dare…don't you dare…DON'T TICKLE MEHEHEHehehehehehe!

With an almighty crash the couch flipped over backwards and Sirius and Calypso were deposited ungracefully onto the floor in a large heap.

"Now look what you've done!"

"What I've done? What you did!"

Remus split the two of them up with a long-suffering expression. "Really, you two…" and with a swish of his wand, the couch tilted upright again, and a thick white line was painted right down the middle. "Right. That line is exactly half way along. No, don't argue, Sirius, It's EXACTLY halfway."

Pulling a face, Sirius leapt over the back of the couch and sat on his designated side, ignoring Calypso, who was ignoring him as well. 

Peace finally, Remus thought. But within a few minutes…

CRACK!

"OW! What the hell was that for?"

"You had your knee over the line." replied Sirius smoothly.

"No I didn't, it was on the line!" protested Calypso furiously.

"Over!"

"On!" 

"Over!"

"On!" 

"Fine them, it was on."

Peace reigned for a few minutes longer, then…

CRACK!

"AAARUHG! Remus, Sirius is hitting me with his wand! Do something!" Calypso complained.

"You had your knee on the line again!" Sirius rebuked her.

"And what's the problem in that?" Calypso shot back.

"Remus, who's territory is the line?" Sirius asked.

"MINE!" sighed Remus. "For god's sake, I liked it better when you could only bark, Sirius!"

But Sirius was suddenly distracted by the TV.

"Oh, shut up everyone! Who's Line is it Anyway is on!" he exclaimed

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you had a television." Calypso grumbled under her breath, only to be hushed by a flap of Sirius' hand.

Remus shrugged. "Guess I just forgot. I never usually watch it, just Sirius does. I only got it installed for him."

"Yeah, when I came home from Hogwarts for the holidays I spent almost the whole time sitting in front of the box, making up for all the time I missed while at school" Sirius offered, eyes still glued to the screen as the theme music finished. 

After a few moments, Calypso sighed, disappointed. "Re-runs. I've already seen this one, it's old."

Sirius was transfixed by the television. "SSSHHHHH!" He said angrily, waving a hand at Calypso. "You might have seen it, but remember, I've been in Azkaban for the last 10 years."

Abashed, Calypso turned around to Remus and Maria.

"So, where did Neil go?" she asked in an undertone.

"Home," replied Maria. "His daughter was out staying with some friends, and, well, I know how lonely it is to have dinner all by yourself." 

"Daughter? What happened to his wife?" Calypso asked, rearranging herself so that she could keep one eye on the TV.

"She was a Phoenix." Remus said quietly.

Calypso grimaced. "You guys have a high mortality rate, don't you?"

"US guys, you mean." Remus said pointedly. "You are one, too."

"Oh crap." Calypso mouthed, suddenly realizing Remus was right. What had she got herself into?

Maria sat up a bit. "Oh, don't worry Calypso. It's not that bad." She said soothingly, correctly interpreting the stricken look on Calypso's face. "Professor McGonagall must be approaching eighty, and she's going strong. Dumbledore himself is ancient. My mama is old as the hills. Mundungus, Old Mad-Eye, the list goes on."

"Maybe don't use Mad-Eye as an example of an aurora, perhaps." Remus warned. 

Maria smiled. "Yeah, maybe not. Calypso," she said, suddenly changing tack, "forgive me for prying, but how on earth did you work out who Snuffles really was?"

Calypso turned her whole attention onto the question. The half-truth is best, she thought.

"Well, it was obvious from the beginning that Snuffles was strange. For god's sake, he answered my questions, sat at the dinner table, laughed at jokes, and had a bigger bed than I did!"

Remus scratched an eyebrow nonchalantly. "I told him he should have taken the single bed…"

"Anyway, in the end, I had a little chat with Rorrim, the mirror in my bedroom." Calypso said heavily.

Maria snorted. "Well, that explains things. That gossiping piece of furniture …honestly…"

"Rorrim," Remus said carefully, "has woodchip instead of brains." 

Calypso gave herself an imaginary pat on the back. Nicely handled, honey, she thought to herself.

"Used to all the enchanted furniture yet?" Maria asked. "I was kinda freaked when I first met them all, but I got used to it. Mind you, I was seventeen at the time, and enchanted furniture isn't that common."

"Yeah," Calypso replied, her attention now on the 'props' game on Who's Line. Even reruns are damm funny, she thought as Ryan Styles did something improper with a large polystyrene dome.

"Even at the flat, we didn't have enchanted furniture." As soon as she had said the words, she felt that slow sinking feeling in her stomach that told her she had let something slip. Frantic to cover it up, she kept talking.

"I like Fridge, Rorrim is bearable in small doses, but Pantry seems to hate me for some reason."

Remus, oblivious to her slip, nodded in agreement. "I noticed that Pantry has a grudge against you. That's probably because - "

Remus had missed her slip, but Maria hadn't. "Calypso," she cut in, puzzled, "what did you just say about having enchanted furniture at the flat?" Her green eyes were resting on Calypso, in a cat-like way.

Damm. 

Damm, Calypso thought. What should I do? She was aware of sweat building up on her palms.

__

Tell the truth, said Virginia abruptly from the deep confines of her mind. _What difference will it make to these people?_

For some reason, Calypso agreed, and felt heartened, like a bit of the load had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Oh. Ummm……well, it's a long story." She started hesitantly.

"We've got all night." Offered Remus.

"Oh, okay. Well, you know I'm an orphan?"

Sirius turned around, looking amazed. "No." he said slowly.

Calypso shrugged. "Well, I am. Both our parents died when we were about seven. We were put with foster care people…"

"We? Who?" Maria asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I'm one of triplets. Didn't I mention that? I've got two sisters. Melody is blind, and Aria has Down's Syndrome. Anyway," she continued, unruffled, "'cause of their disabilities, the Fostering agency found it hard to get us homes." Calypso suddenly gave an evil smile. "Umm…how can I put this? When I was a kid, I was…"

"Troublesome?" Offered Remus

"Hard to handle?" Suggested Maria.

"Rambunctious?" asked Remus again. 

"A little terror?" from Sirius

"Child of Satan' was how one couple described me, actually." Calypso said frankly. "They were religious nuts, but I think their description was closer to the truth than they actually realized."

"Wow, I'm impressed. Even I wasn't called that." Sirius said, looking at Calypso in a new light.

"So, anyway, the point of all this is that thanks to my appalling behavior, we were shifted around a hell of a lot. Between the ages of seven and fourteen, we lived in about forty-five different houses. One we only stayed in for three days before we moved on." Calypso chucked at the last memory.

"So we have lived in every territory in Australia, both islands in New Zealand, in Nuie and even out on the Chatam Islands. To cut a long story short, when we were living down in the South Island of New Zealand, when we were about eleven, there was this guy called Ian whose little brother went to the same primary school as us, out in the wop-wops. We knew we were different – you know, magical, and since birds of a feather flock together, we became friends with him pretty soon, even though we were eleven and he was sixteen. Ian was muggle-born," Calypso said, answering their unasked question. "and even when we were moved on, and he went back to Oasis Station Homestead Wizarding School during term, we still kept in touch." 

A sudden expression of sadness flicked across Calypso's face. "He used to send us letters every week, and photos, telling us all about Oasis Station, and about what he and his friends were up to. I was always sooo insanely jealous."

Calypso fell silent for a moment, and she suddenly noticed that while the ads were over on the television, Sirius was still intently listening to her story.

"So, what does all that have to do with flatting?" asked Remus, still puzzled.

Calypso snapped out of her melancholy daydream. "Oh. Um…" she struggled to find the words. "By the time I was fifteen, I was off the rails in a big way. Real big. Not one of my better moments, but oh well." She said loftily.

"When we turned sixteen we were no longer wards of the state, so we had to look for a place to live. And lo and behold, Ian offered us a room in the house he was flatting in with some of his mates from school. Melody organized it all, and dragged me in very unwillingly and rather hung over. Living with a bunch of wizards and witches knocked some sense into me, and we've been there ever since." Calypso finished with a shrug. 

Remus cleared his throat. "Hate to say this, Calypso, but that doesn't really match up with what you told us before." He said carefully. "You said that you weren't allowed contact with magical people…"

Calypso snorted. "Do I look like someone who obeys all the rules? That one was impossible to enforce – and besides, what they don't know don't hurt em."

Feeling that that particular discussion was over, Maria changed subjects. "What I really want to know is why you didn't freak when you knew about Sirius. I mean, he is a convicted mass murderer and Wizard Watch's Most Wanted Dangerous Criminal at the moment."

"Well, I was seriously pissed at first, and I was going to play it for all it was worth, but then Virginia told me to trust him." Calypso replied.

"Virginia? Who?" asked Sirius, curious.

Calypso blinked. "Oh right, sorry. Virginia is the name of the dead chick living in my head. Well, at least that's the name she gave me, it might not be right."

Sirius shook his head. "Crazy, just crazy." He said, and turned back to the television, the studio audience roaring with laughter.

Calypso noticed the inky shadows outside lengthening and stars starting to glow in the darkening sky from her comfy sofa seat.

"What's going on tomorrow?" she asked. 

Maria answered her. "Well, we are all setting off to work, but I'll fly with you to Neil's house in London. His daughter wants to go into Diagon Alley as well, so she'll take you from there and Neil and I will just apparate to work. The meeting starts at eight thirty at night, so you just might have enough time to get around the whole of Diagon Alley," she said with a wink.

"Cool." Calypso replied, and settled down to watch more television.

--------------------

Calypso was dreaming.

Again.

She was standing on a rooftop two stories high, the chilly breeze draining any warmth out of her body and tossing about stray blonde hairs over her face. Shuddering, she looked around.

The twinkling lights from the Muggle streetlamps and the houses that spread out in vast quantities in every direction illuminated the scene quite clearly. Hunched over on the crazily sloping tiles standing next to her, were six other people. Four she did not recognise – two she did. A woman with a large jaw and thick eyebrows was Vanessa Hutchingson, and the handsome man with permanently bloodshot eyes and a Cheshire cat smile was Kerian Marshall. Calypso gulped. Whatever those two were up to, it wasn't good.

Carefully, she picked her way over to where they were standing, ignoring the hairs standing up on her arms and the dense looking men scratching themselves under dark, hooked cloaks.

Vanessa and Kerian were crouched to the ground, wands ready, listening to what sounded to be a rather raucous party from underneath.

Calypso turned to glance at the pair's faces – they were flushed with anticipation, hoods thrown carelessly back. Snippets of conversation came floating up on the wind.

"…can't be serious…"

"..it seriously for once, Fudge isn't that stupid to ignore…"

"..read somewhere that they were responsible for the…"

"…nothing we can't handle, really? I mean,…"

"…totally different. We need a different approach if we want to stay alive…"

Concentrating so hard on the fragmented discussion she was eavesdropping into, she almost didn't notice Vanessa and Kerian nod to each other and pull their hoods right over their heads, masking any sight of their faces. It was only when Vanessa made a complex gesture to the other four brawny robed figures that she suddenly looked around.

They were slowly creeping over the roof, spreading out in all directions with purpose. 

Calypso had no doubt as to what that purpose was. 

Wands at the ready, they crouched as a cat does before it leaps, sweating slightly, eyes glinting forebodingly in the half dark.

Kerian started silently mouthing the countdown.

Three.

Heart pounding, Calypso turned to look at where they were all intently staring.

Two.

One, Kerian mouthed and poised himself to leap.

Stomach muscles clenched, Calypso braced herself for the explosion that never came.

Instead of the sudden outburst of violence she expected, the rooftops instead started swirling in a big molten gloop colour, making her feel rather giddy and ill. And then, Calypso watched as the dizzying tornado she was standing in collapsed into…

That dammed beach again!

And sure enough, it was all the same. The thunderous cliffs, crashing waves, foreboding overcast sky, and one large grey horse looking mournfully at her through huge, deep brown eyes. The wind whipped up sand that stung the backs of her legs and Calypso stood there scowling, and sulked. 

She wanted to know what happened in her previous dream, but she knew that once you had departed from a dream, you couldn't go back. Reluctantly, she concentrated on her reoccurring situation.

Do it differently, she thought. Perhaps…

The horse nickered impatiently, pawing at the sand and tossing its head about. It took a few eager steps ahead and started prancing on the spot.

Calypso's eyes opened wide, as new thoughts ran across her mind.

Everything was set up for her to ride, or run DOWN the beach. What if…

Calypso heaved herself up onto the horse's smooth back, and it eagerly started loping off down the beach. It received a sudden shock when Calypso dug one heel into it's flanks, pulled taught one rein and tried to make her mount turn around.

Protesting vigorously, skittering to the side and throwing its head up and down, Calypso managed to boot her unwilling horse back up the beach, while trying to spot the mist of misery that had chased her in every dream. Thundering down the echoing beach at a canter, Calypso could find no trace of it.

The horse saw it before Calypso did, and responded by rearing, nearly throwing Calypso right off. Instead, she clung on for dear life as she slipped around the horse's neck, dangling dangerously close to flailing hooves as the horse let rip a screaming whinny. Due to some stroke of luck, as the horse wheeled around to take flight Calypso was thrown straight back onto its broad, silky back and clung onto a waving bunch of mane.

Eyes bulging, chest heaving with fright, Calypso doggedly grabbed the loose reins and hauled back on them. Recovering what composure she could, she wrestled the terrified horse around and tried to force it forwards. It bucked, reared, crabwalked and ducked out at the sides until Calypso kicked, slapped and yelled it into a barely controlled canter back down the beach, heading straight for the foggy dark mess of despair hovering above the sand, and coming right for her.

When she was only twenty meters from it, Calypso felt her whole body freeze up with fright. Her lungs were paralyzed and she let her hands fall limply to her sides as her horse slowed down to a quivering walk.

With a shaking breath, Calypso tried to comprehend the situation. It was just a mist – but a mist that seemed to emanate horror, terror and fear, all rolled into one. Cruel laughter was whispered on the wind that struck to Calypso's very heart. 

Calypso suddenly scowled, clenched her teeth and looked at the fog through narrowed eyes. 

Bugger you, she thought defiantly.

She kicked her terrified horse, the whites of its eyes showing and nostrils flaring, urging it to walk straight towards the mist. Growling, she kicked it again…and again…until they were only a hand's width away from the very edge.

Aware that her whole body was trembling, her ears filled with mocking laughter, Calypso reached out and touched it…and her arm was filled with coldness. At the same time she booted her horse forward one more time.

Too mortified to scream, or even breathe, Calypso sat on her horse as the black fog swirled around her, cold, chilling her to the bone. She watched faces dance in front of her face, laughing, laughing, laughing… Lungs on fire, she breathed the black mist in…

And the world changed.

The black mist shredded into wisps, and with a final, dying, mocking laugh, disappeared. The sand melted into green pastures, the cliffs into trees, the sea into wildflowers, and the purple-tinged grey clouds into azure blue sky. The roar and crash of waves and the howling of wind died, and was replaced with harmonic birdsong, chirping cicadas and a gentle hum of honeybees. 

Calypso looked around in amazement, eyes as big as saucers, her jaw on the ground. She felt herself turn to jelly and slither down off the horse's back to land in a large puddle of limbs on the soft, wavy emerald green grass.

"Finally." Declared a voice from in front of her.

Knowing perfectly well who it belonged to, Calypso slowly looked up, wiping beads of cold sweat off her forehead.

Ivory, button up boots.

Rawhide tassles.

A black cloak.

A rather severe expression.

All topped off with a pointed hat.

"Hello Virginia" she croaked.

"Took you long enough, didn't it? Even with all those hints I gave you." Without bothering to give Calypso a hand up, she marched around the girl lying in a heap on the ground, cloak swishing, to pat the horse's nose.

Jaw still trembling, Calypso found it hard to construct words. Eventually, she got her mouth working.

"Virginia, what the hell was all that about?" she said shakily.

Virginia flashed her an irritated look. "You still haven't worked it out?"

She sighed. 

"Right. It was SUPPOSED to teach you a lesson, but I think I made it a little to complex for your IQ level."

"Stop with the sarcasm and just tell me what it meant!" Calypso hissed.

"This horse represented you. That mist thing was everything in your past. Get it now?" Virginia snapped in a plummy accent.

"Whatever." Calypso replied, not thinking. "Did you create that dream?"

"Yes, and this one too." Virginia said, a note of pride in her voice. "Look, as a sort of a prize for finally working it out, jump back onto your horse here and have a nice, happy little dream where you ride around in paradise, okay? I have to admit, you are an okay kid…"

"I am not a kid!" Calypso snarled. "I'm nineteen for god's sake!"

Virginia cocked her head to the side and blinked. "So you are. Funny that, at your age most of my friends from school were married and with their first child."

Calypso snorted and tried unsuccessfully to get up on wobbly legs. Virginia audibly sighed, rolled her eyes and reluctantly stretched out a hand to help Calypso up. 

"Well, get on then." She commanded imperiously. 

"I can't." Calypso replied. "I'm absolutely buggered."

Virginia gave her a sneering look of disbelief. "This is a dream. Remember? Things in dreams do what you want them to, if you have to willpower, strength of character and mental control."

"Well, I don't happen to have much willpower or strength of character, so it looks like you just might have to help me out here" Calypso snapped back.

Rolling her eyes again, Virginia muttered something nasty under her breath and then sighed.

"Fine."

Suddenly, Calypso realized that the piece of ground she was sitting on was a large rock, just the right height for her to struggle onto the horse's slippery back.

"Thanks," she said to Virginia as she gathered up the reins and adjusted her seat.

But Virginia had gone, 18th century boots and all.

Calypso looked at the spot where Virginia had last been standing, blinking. Then she shrugged, and clicked her tongue and set off slowly across the wavy hills, thinking about what Virginia had just said.

--------------------

Maria hauled back the curtains in Calypso's room and a few weak rays of light struggled in.

"C'mon Calypso. Wakie wakie." She said and shook her shoulder.

"Muuugggh?" said a bleary-eyed Calypso. "Gaaah…whazza time?"

"Oh, somewhere about six or so." Maria said back cheerily, and strolled out of the room, leaving Calypso to roll out of bed.

Maria was sitting on the windowseat in the kitchen when Calypso finally stumbled in, yawning and dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that read, 'bitch'.

"Interesting top." Maria remarked dryly over the top of her teacup as Calypso staggered over to Fridge, opened it up and dragged out a piece of cold lasagna.

"What, this?" Calypso asked, tugging at a stray thread on her t-shirt. "I though it was nice to warn strangers before they came too close." She dragged a chair up to the table and started eating the lasagna, stone cold. Maria screwed up her face in disgust.

"How can you eat that?" she asked, repulsed.

"Quite easily." replied Calypso, with her mouth full, and took another fork full.

"I can see how you get on with Sirius." Maria mumbled under her breath.

"Whattya mean?" Calypso inquired.

"I think you are the only person that has challenged Sirius to a game of slaps since James did."

"And I won, too." Calypso replied. "I got the Lasagna because Pantry will savage me if I try and get any real breakfast cereals out of her."

"Too right!" Pantry spat across the kitchen.

"Oh dear." Maria said, forehead creasing with a worried expression. "Remus said…"

"Don't worry," Calypso replied, waving her fork around and accidentally splattering tomato paste and little bits of mince over the floor, "I'll make sure we come to a compromise. I have something planned." Calypso gave an evil smile. 

Maria looked at her for a moment, and then decided to take the same approach with Calypso as she did Sirius. 

Don't ask. Just try and stay out of it.

"We'll go as soon as you get your hair done." Maria said, changing topics. "Remus and Sirius are still sleeping – lazy sods. They'll just apparate into Diagon Alley at about nine."

"Well, I'm almost ready to go, I just got to grab that funny old granny's handbag that everything fits into." Calypso said, scraping the last of the cold pasta off her plate. "And, Maria, can I ask a favor?" she added hesitantly.

"Yeah, what?" Replied Maria, surprised.

"Uh…when I was at St. Mungo's, Dot, this nurse, did something cool with my hair so it sat all perfect and everything. Can you do that to mine?" she pleaded.

Maria laughed. "Easy." She stood up, pulled her wand out of her pocket and walked over to the back of Calypso's chair. All Calypso felt was a slight prickling sensation on her scalp, and then Maria stepped back, looking at her critically. "Not bad, if I may say so myself."

Calypso gingerly reached up and touched her hair. It was composed into an intricate mass of twists and curls that seemed to defy gravity.

"Wow. Hey, thanks Maria…" but Maria had gone. She was back in a few moments with something shiny in her hand, which she thrust at a bemused Calypso.

It was a necklace - a small platinum pentagram with some sort of crystal suspended the middle. Calypso held it up to the dusky morning light and watched the rays split into rainbows.

"This," Calypso said with awe, "is seriously cool."

"Then it's yours" Maria said suddenly, and Calypso let her jaw drop.

"Oh nononono…." Calypso began and tried to shovel the necklace back into Maria's closed hand.

"Oh yesyesyesyes!" Maria replied, and pushed the necklace back into Calypso's palm. "Look, I have a bit of Sight myself, Calypso."

Calypso let her jaw drop again.

"It's not much," Maria added hurriedly, "just enough to make me a very good doctor, especially with pregnant women. I sort of just know when they are going to deliver, and that's about all. But the whole point is that I just know that you should have this necklace. Why? I don't know."

Calypso gave Maria a suspicious look. "What's the catch?" she asked carefully.

Maria shrugged. "No catch. That necklace has some ancient magic interwoven into it. A pentagram is a witch's sign of protection. It's been passed down from mother to daughter and…"

"Then I can't possibly accept it!" Calypso cried

"…and cousin to daughter-in-law to neighbor to friend…see what I mean? I got this from my cousin's auntie in Italy." Before Calypso could protest any further, Maria got up and walked out of the room. Slightly slow on the uptake, Calypso eventually followed, still staring at the silver-white pendant in her palm, so engrossed in it she didn't even hear Fridge call out a friendly goodbye.

Outside the temperature was cool and fresh, the sun just above the hilltops and starting to bathe the hills in golden light. Jogging out the door, shopping bag slung over one shoulder and trying to do up the tricky catch on the necklace chain while moving, Calypso nearly tripped over the doorframe in her hurry.

Maria stood patiently on the road, holding both broomsticks in her hand. She tossed one to Calypso, who only just caught it. Composing herself, she tried to remember how to grip the broom correctly and roared off quite a lot faster than she had expected. Flashing past Maria with a stricken look, she slowed down and, red-faced, waited for Maria to catch up.

Maria was smiling. "In that much of a hurry to get to Diagon Alley?" she asked.

"I've never been there before!" Calypso called back over the woosh of the wind.

"You'll love it. There's plenty there to keep you occupied for a week, let alone a day!" Maria hollered. "Come on, let's go!"

Calypso leant forward close to her broomstick and watched the patchwork fields below turn into a blur of greens.

--------------------

They landed in a totally unremarkable street in London, where the houses reminded Calypso of Coronation Street, but dingier. The stone was charcoal colored, streaked with age and filth. The windows were tiny, the front doors right on the footpath. All the houses were narrow, flat-fronted and three stories high, squeezed together so they shared the same sloping, moss-covered roof. There was no vegetation, at all. Not even grass. Calypso had never seen a more depressing place to live. 

Jumping off her broomstick, Calypso felt rather apprehensive as she followed Maria down the street, dodging rubbish sacks and passing glum-faced people who didn't look up as they brushed rudely past her on their way to work.

Maria stopped outside a door that had all the light green paint flaking off it in huge chunks, with a rusty '227' screwed in above the doorknocker. Maria used the knocker to thump an odd pattern on the door, winced at the shrill sound of metal screeching on metal, and waited. By now, Calypso was very apprehensive as she looked at the dead plant in a chipped pot sitting by the doorstep. "Erm, Maria…" she began uncertainly. But before she could voice any doubts, the door was thrown open and Neil stood in the doorframe, dwarfing it, with a warm smile on his face.

"Good morning!" he said happily. "Come on in." He beckoned to Maria and Calypso with a large brown hand and Maria followed him through the doorway, chatting away. Calypso hesitated, until Neil moved and she could see into his house. 

Stepping forward slowly, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. 

It was huge.

She was standing in the lounge, one wall of which was made up of French doors, and a balcony that looked over a sun-splashed park. To the left was a modern kitchen with dazzling chrome fittings. Expensive furniture was placed carefully on the thick, white carpet, colour-coordinated to compliment the deep blue walls, which were covered with abstract art. Eyes as huge as a goldfish, she absently ran her hand over a table of glass and wrought iron. 

"Not what you expected?" Asked Maria suddenly from behind her. Neil, too, had an amused look on his face.

Calypso tried to form words. "Uhhh…ohhh…no" she finally came up with.

"We have to blend in with the Muggles around us, so the exterior of the house is slightly shabby to match. That way, no-one gets suspicious." Neil explained. He looked to the stairwell as someone came thundering down it from upstairs. 

He frowned. "Does she always have to make a grand entrance?" he grumbled good-naturedly as a tall, athletic girl appeared and smiled at him.

"Calypso, this is my daughter, Angelina. Angelina, this is Calypso." He introduced them.

Calypso stared at Angelina, who stared back.

Angelina was dressed exactly the same as Calypso, except her top was a intense yellow that contrasted brillinatly with her dark skin and read 'slut' instead of 'bitch'. Maria gave a snort of laughter, and Neil frowned. "I told you, I don't like that t-shirt on you. It's too tight, and that message for muggles implies that…"

"I knoww I knoww!" Angelina said in a thick voice, and rolled her eyes at her father.

"What's wrong with your voice?" he asked, concerned.

"No-hing!" Angelina said hurredly, and steered Calypso towards the door. "Thee ya!" she slurred. 

"Have fun!" Maria called after them, and Calypso waved back.

-------------------

Outside, Angelina and Calypso strolled down the street side by side, an uncomfortable silence between them. Calypso glanced slyly at Angelina and suddenly poked her in the ribs with her elbow. Startled, Angelina looked Calypso straight in the eye and Calypso had a good hard look into them. She liked what she saw, and smiled.

"So, did you only get it done last night?" Calypso asked.

"What done?" Angelina asked defensively. 

Calypso laughed. "Your tongue pierced, of course. Gimme a look?"

Angelina looked relieved, and stuck out her badly swollen tongue, with a silver barbell through it. "Dad'll kill me if he knew. It hurtsh like hell, and if Dad wathn't a doctor, I could go and just get it healed at Sht Mungo's, eazthy as pie. But then Dad would know, and he'd have my guths for garters." She said glumly.

"How far is St. Mungo's and Diagon Alley from here?" Calypso asked, once she had worked out what Angelina had actually said.

The black girl shrugged, making the multi-colored beads on her braids clink. "About ten minuthes walk to Sht. Mungo's, and about fiftheen to Diagon Alley."

Calypso thought for a few moments. "Can we stop by a telephone and a bank before we go to Diagon Alley? I have to ring my family again, and close a bank account so I can open one up at Gringotts."

Angelinas face lit up. "Oh yeah! I love going into Muggle town! Ith's cool!" She ushered Calypso down a side-street, and started chatting.

--------------------

Calypso slammed down the receiver with disgust. I will never own a bloody answering machine, she promised herself. Where were her sisters? Or anyone in the flat, for that matter? Fuming, she opened the door of the booth to see Angelina, waiting patiently outside.

"No-one at home." Calypso told her. "To the bank now?"

Angelina nodded, and pointed across the busy Muggle road to a large, mirrored building – Angelina's tongue had swollen up so much she could hardly talk.

Leaving Angelina in the plush foyer, Calypso saw the teller and was politely asked to see the manager. Angelina was perfectly happy waiting. As she had told Calypso, she loved living around Muggles, and she was top in her Muggle Studies class at Hogwarts. Observing Muggle bank tellers at work was fascinating for her. Watching one of them use a computer – something she told herself she would have to learn how to do this year – she didn't even notice when Calypso came back.

"Hoi, can you hold onto one of these for me, please?" Calypso asked, thrusting a black briefcase into Angelina's hands. Calypso then hurridly shoved all three suitcases into her bottomless shopping bag. Angelina though Calypso seemed rather nervous, as she was gripping her shopping bag tightly.

"To Diagon Alley now?" Calypso pleaded, eyes scanning the people around them.

Angelina nodded, and led a paranoid Calypso down the street further to a bookshop, and pointed across the road to a tiny, dingy little pub.

Upon entering the Leaky Cauldron, Angelina waved at a gnarled old barkeeper who was serving chilled pumpkin juice to an elderly witch behind a long, oak counter. Tom waved back and smiled, showing his few remaining teeth. Calypso clutched her shopping bag closer to her sides and hurried on along a well worn path to out the back of the pub. 

Angelina turned around and grinned at her in the empty, walled courtyard.

"Wellcoum to Diagon Alley!" She said carefully around her swollen tongue.

Calypso looked around, lost. 

"Where?" she asked, confused.

But Angelina had turned around, pulled her wand out of her bag, and tapped a brick with it.

To Calypso's immediate horror, the brick wiggled, and disappeared. Then the hole stretched, and suddenly there was a large stone archway in the formerly solid wall. She could hear a sudden cascade of noise, bustle and hustle, and the smell of good food. She gingerly took a step forward, and peered around the corner to see what was behind the wall.

Angelina laughed at the dazzled expression on Calypso's face. People were swarming like colorful bees along a narrow, twisting cobbled street. The Victorian-styled shops on either side were wonky and leaning over the path, shops below and apartments with generous balconies above. A riot of colour and noise washed over Calypso as she stood, frozen, looking at the street that seemed to belong to the past. An elaborate wrought iron sign on a candy-cane pole read, 'Diagon Alley'.

"Oh my god." Calypso finally said, gulping.

Angelina dragged her forward down the street as she stared, open-mouthed at everything. A huge bookstore, Flourish & Blotts, Strychnine Potion Wholesalers, (Your one stop apothecary shop!) Brimstone & Fire Hardware Ltd, Diagon Alley Draperies, Budd's Greengrocer's…the shops seemed endless, stacked to the roofs with goods, and often spilling out onto the road.

Calypso suddenly realized they were standing inside a huge marble building, away from the heat and noise from the street.

"Thith," Angelina said, "is Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank."

--------------------

An hour later, they were seated at an outdoor table under a striped sun-umbrella, eating ice creams. Angelina was sitting her huge raspberry and toffee cream on her tongue, trying to make the swelling go down.

"How is it?" Calypso asked between licks of her own cone, chocolate and sherbet.

"Better" Angelina replied. "Still not good, though."

Calypso looked around through her sunglasses, which she noticed had a splodge of chocolate icecream on the lenses. "Tell me, what's up with robe wearing over here? Is it just for formal occasions, or does everyone wear them apart from teenagers?"

Angelina considered the question for a few moments. "Everyone wears robes to work, and we have to wear them to school. Most adults wear them everywhere, but all us young people wear Muggle clothes."

"So you go to Hogwarts, do you?" Calypso asked, curious.

"Yeah, I'll be in seventh year at the start of term." Angelina said glumly. "Last year of Hogwarts – I can't believe it! Hey…are you going to be a transfer student this year?" she asked, perking up.

Calypso laughed. "I'm 19. I finished schooling for good, but I would love to go to Hogwarts."

"Oh, SORRY! I didn't mean to insult you or anything." Angelina tried to apologize.

"Ah, no, don't worry. It's the freckles that make me look so young. Apparently I'll be glad of them when I'm 40." Calypso replied, brushing off Angelina's apologies. 

"So what's the name of the Wizarding School in Australia?" Angelina asked. "What's it like?"

"Oasis Station Homestead Wizarding School. Don't laugh…" She warned Angelina, who was sniggering. "It's long-winded, I know. Everyone just calls it Oasis, or the Station, or the Homestead."

"Why such a complex name?" Angelina asked.

Calypso sighed. "The school is in the middle of the outback somewhere, on a huge sheep and beef station. It's like an oasis in the middle of the desert, so the station is named Oasis Station. It's bloody huge, and the school is at the Homestead. It's not a castle or anything, it's this huge sprawling 1850's villa sorta house."

"Oh, well, that sort of makes sense." Angelina said.

"So, if you are in your last year at Hogwarts, what are you going to do when you leave?" Calypso asked.

Angelina sighed. "Well, what I really want to do is get into tourism, but Dad thinks it's a dead-end career. He wants me to be a lawyer or join the Ministry of Magic, but I don't want to. I want to lead adventure tours to see dragons in Albania, set up Portkeys, and stuff like that."

"Sounds cool. I got a Muggle College education and I'm a scientist. Now that's boring."

Angelina looked impressed. "You must be a really good witch if they asked you to join the Phoenixes all the way from Australia."

"Oh, not really. Come on, let's go shopping." Calypso said quickly.

"Are you a good scientist then?" Angelina inquired.

"Oh, nah. Just average. Come on, I need some robes. Where's the best shop for them?"

Angelina thought for a few seconds, and then pointed out a few. "Harlequinade is my favorite, but Sparks is really cool. The rest…Gemstones is really for eight to thirteen year olds, Diagon Alley Fashion is filled with old woman clothes. There's heaps of tailors and seamstresses to make fitted robes, but that's only really for dress robes, work robes and school robes."

"Harlequinade and Sparks then" Calypso agreed, taking the last bite of her icecream.

--------------------

"They are arriving sometime tonight, so they'll probably miss the meeting. In a way, that's can work to out advantage. It gives us time to re-sort the pairs and find out more about these visitors."

"When did Fudge tell you?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.

"Only a few hours ago, can you believe?" Dumbledore answered. "He thought he was doing good – not telling us so nothing can get leaked. What a fool he is." Dumbledore shook his head sadly, magnificent beard swaying.

"How many?" Remus asked.

"Six, apparently. They may send more if things don't go too well" Dumbledore replied.

"You mean if too many of us get killed." grumbled Sirius, propping his feet up on the back of another chair. "It's about time they sent some of their own people over. If we have the escaped Australian Death Eaters on out front lawn, they should send over all of their aurors – I know they have plenty to spare!"

"We only have Snape's word that they are here, remember. No-one, even us, trusts Snape completely." Remus pointed out.

"I trust Snape completely." said Dumbledore in dry tone.

"Well, you're the only one." Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"Staying at the Leaky Cauldron, are they?" Remus inquired.

Dumbledore nodded. "Thank goodness they are here, though. We really do need backup. Pity they are missing the meeting."

"Well, Portkeys are hard to reschedule, aren't they?" Sirius said.

Remus looked away from the others and down out the window onto the busy crowds in Diagon Alley flocking around the shoe shop, where ruby heeled slippers were 25% off.

"Australasia, huh? Perhaps Calypso will know a few of them."

--------------------

"Aarugh…..aaah! Haaah! Dat sthungs!" Angelina cried

"Nasty stuff, isn't it?" Dot said cheerfully.

"Promise you won't tell, Dot? Angelina's dad will kill her if he knew she got her tongue pierced." Calypso asked anxiously.

Dot screwed the lid back on the pot she had just lathered Angelina's tongue in, and flashed Calypso a brilliant smile. "Won't breathe a word. Don't worry, you can trust me. Now, dear," she said, turning to Angelina, whose eyes were watering, "It should be healed right over now, but I still want you to put this powder on it every night. You never know with these home-done jobs…"

Calypso gave the round nurse a hug. "Thanks a heap, Dot. Now I can actually talk to Angelina. Before, it was a rather one-sided conversation."

"I'm here to help." Dot said as the girls walked out the door. "But try not to come here with injuries too often, please!"

-----------------

Remus relaxed in the shade of the sun umbrella and sipped his latte. Snuffles hoed into a large piece of carrot cake at his feet, flicking icing all over his shoes. Remus nudged Snuffle's plate a little further away, and looked around Diagon Alley. He suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd walking past.

"HEY! CALYPSO!" he called, and Calypso spotted him sitting at Crystal's Café. She and Angelina pushed their way through the flow of people and sat down in the spare chairs.

"So, what do you think of Diagon Alley?" asked Remus.

"This place….is just….." Calypso began, gesturing madly for a suitable word.

Angelina laughed. "We know what you mean. What are you doing here, Professor Lupin?" she asked.

Remus pointed to the second story of a huge, old building down by Gringotts. "Paperwork."

"Oh, my dad hates doing that." Angelina sympathized.

"So do I." Remus agreed. "So, where have you been?"

"Everywhere, apart from Knockturn Alley." Angelina said miserably. "I'm not allowed to go there unless I'm accompanied by someone who is allowed. Dad's orders."

Calypso suddenly gave Remus a cunning look. "Remus, can I go to Knockturn Alley?" she asked slyly.

Remus blinked. "There's no way I can stop you. You are your own person, you know Calypso."

"Right then. C'mon Angelina," she declared, getting up from the table.

"What?" Angelina gave her a puzzled look.

'We, my dear, are going to Knockturn Alley. Don't worry, I'll chaperone you, since I'm allowed. And if your dad kicks up any fuss, we can always blame Remus here."

Before Remus could react, both girls had vanished off down Diagon Alley. Snuffles was almost choking on his cake, snorting and blowing crumbs everywhere.

Remus was not amused. "I think it's time to get Snuffles a choke chain…."

Snuffles stopped laughing abruptly.

--------------------

It was eight fifteen when Angelina pointed out the forest green apartment with huge, potplant covered balcony above the coffee shop.

"That's Maria's house there. The door is just beside the watchmaker's display window, and the staircase is behind it." Angelina gave Calypso a wry look. "I wish I could come as well."

"And you know what, I wish you were coming too." Calypso said honestly. She was starting to feel the first flutterings of nervousness.

"Oh, Calypso, I gotta run. I have to be home by eight thirty or the shit will hit the fan."

"Right. Look, thanks a million for spending the day with boring little me, I really appreciated it."

Angelina gave her a broad grin. "Truly, the pleasure was all mine. I'll see ya around, aye?"

"Yeah. We'll have to do it again." Calypso called as Angelina loped away at a smooth run down Diagon Alley. 

Damm, she though. She liked Angelina, she'd had a great day so far and now she had to attend this stupid bloody meeting thing. Meetings were never interesting.

Reluctantly, she grabbed her bag and walked over to the red door and pushed it open.

"Helloooo?" she called hesitantly up the staircase, which was a ghastly shade of orange.

"Who's that?" a familiar voice drifted back down the stairwell.

"Calypso."

"Hey, so you made it! Come on up!" Maria called.

Calypso climbed the uneven stairs, sweating slightly, and opened the door at the top.

So this was Maria's pad, she though, looking around. It was furnished totally with op-shop furniture – numerous mismatching sloppy couches, a large wooden coffee table covered with dents. Prints and photographs that moved lined the walls of the lounge. The kitchen was all of veenered wood, and sported a cream, orange and brown jug, at which Maria was making cups of tea in lopsided and chipped mugs.

"Well, what do you think?" Maria asked, gesturing to her lounge and kitchen, which had a splendid view of another person's lounge over the street.

Calypso tried to think of a neutral compliment, but Maria saved her.

"Now you see why I spend a lot of time at Remus' house?" she asked with a chuckle. "I just brought this place, and it needs a little bit of doing up. Tea?"

--------------------

Ben took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. International Portkey travel wasn't for the faint-hearted. He shifted around awkwardly, but the capsule was tiny and there wasn't much room for movement. He couldn't see much inside the capsule, but he knew where the trigger was. Reluctantly, he reached up and grabbed firmly onto the rubber bar. 

The second he touched the bar, it felt like he was being blasted off the platform by NASA, not BPKP (British Port Key Pathways– always a pleasure, never a chore). He thought his chest was crushed into his pelvis, as the capsule climbed into the stratosphere, and the tinny taped message was piped into his helmet. 

" Welcome and thank you for choosing to travel BPKP – always a pleasure, never a chore. Please ensure your body harness is done up tightly. Also, please note the single emergency exit to the left of you, and the oxygen mask to the right. At the speed and height at which you are traveling, any accident will probably be instantly fatal, and this exit and mask will be totally useless anyway. 

There are no bathroom facilities on this capsule, so take the hint. 

Your trip to Diagon Alley, London, England from Dreaming Rock, Sydney, Australia, will take nine minutes and eighteen seconds. We expect to be passing over Fiji in the next few seconds or so. We are currently approaching the stratosphere at Mach 7. Thank you for traveling with British Port Key Pathways. We hope you have a nice day." 

The last two sentences were dripping with sarcasm, and Ben noticed it as he clenched his teeth as the ringing in his ears increased in pitch.

Damm economy class travel, he though, as the capsule started shuddering slightly.

--------------------

__

So, in this happy little box down here, suggest a title for my series! Come on, come on! You may think your ideas are stupid, but please, look at what I called this series!! THAT is truly awful!

Please please please!

And, advance warning, the next chapter is really difficult to write, and school is heating up, so I'm taking my time with it, okay? Otherwise it's going to end up being complete crap. So please don't spam me asking me to hurry up.

Luv you all.


	10. AGM

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Mad-Eye Moody clambered up the staircase awkwardly, his peg leg letting him only take one step at a time. Wheezing and puffing, he grasped the handrail and hauled himself up the last step with relief. He could already hear the mumble of voices from behind Maria's door. Opening it wide, he strolled into the meeting. There must have been nearly fifteen people there already, cramped into the apartment, but Moody had no trouble picking out Arthur Weasley's vivid red hair. Moody walked over and collapsed heavily into a sagging couch next to Arthur.

"Those stairs get steeper every time I climb them, I swear." Moody growled, rubbing his leg thoughtfully. "Who's here?"

"Let's see," Arthur said, looking around. "Me, you, Bill...Julius...Li...Arabella...Snape's sitting in the corner scowling, as usual...McGonagall is talking to Maria in the kitchen.

Oh, yes, and a few newbies."

"Newbies?" Moody turned around, trying to spot the new recruits, and Arthur pointed them out.

"Fleur Delacour?" Moody said to no-one in particular, rather impressed. "She'll be good, Beauxbatons Champion and all." Fleur did not seem to share Moody's opinion of her abilities, and was sitting bolt upright, biting her fingernails absently and looking out of large, lustrous, scared eyes.

"Is that William Knight over there by any chance?" Moody asked, suddenly grinning. "Old Barry would be proud, his son being head boy a few years back, and now an auror."

"That's Phillip Baunhauser - he's from Germany.. He's a national Dueling Champ." Arthur pointed out a young, dark-haired figure sitting on another well-worn couch. "Dumbledore has roped a few forigners in, actually. There's also Charmaine Ulliet from South Africa, over there with the brown curls, she's about twenty or so, and I don't know who all the rest are, but they're all good. It seems Dumbledore has pinched the cream of the crop from around the world."

One girl caught Moody's eye. She sat curled up in a creaky green armchair apart from the rest of the nervous group of youngsters. Blonde, lithe and with freckles scattered over cheeks, she would have been rather pretty, Moody admitted, apart from the livid scars scattered across her face, legs and arms. The most impressive of these were a set of parallel claw-marks that started on her forehead and ran down, over the eyebrow, luckily missed gouging the eyeball, and then tore white and shiny down her cheek to the jaw, disfiguring an otherwise pretty face. Her arms and legs, too, were criss-crossed with purple and pink scars. 

Moody rubbed his own lacerated skin thoughtfully. At least these newbies had a bit of experience, he thought. This one looked like she'd seen a fair few scrapes.

Turning back to Arthur, he sighed.

"To tell you the truth, Arthur, I'm not going to really enjoy going back to retierment. Hunting down those rabid Death Eaters gets my blood pumping like a teenagers, and I have to admit I have rather enjoyed working with you."

Arthur smiled, looking genuinely suprised at his grizzly partner. "Thanks. A compliment from you is as rare as Flobberworm's teeth."

"And looking at those little recruits bring back so many memories. Perhaps I should have delayed my retierment for another half year or so..." Moody pondered his decision. "Apprentices are so much fun to have. Do you remember your apprenticeship, Arthur?"

This started a long conversation along the lines of 'when I was a boy', and Moody began to wish he had an apprentice of his own.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Calypso decided to gather her nerves and go and talk to the other two girls who seemed near her age, sitting on a thread-bare brown sofa along the wall. She gingerly went over to them and perched on the arm of the couch. Swiveling around, she extended a hand to the closest one, a breathtaking girl with silver-white hair and delicate bones.

"Gudday" Calypso said, with more confidence than she felt. "I'm Calypso Grey. Who are you?"

The blonde girl looked at her out of scared eyes that suddenly filled with warmth at the friendly greeting, and took Calypso's hand.

"Fleur Delacour. I'm very pleezed to meet you." she said politely with a French accent.

"A Frenchie, are you?" Calypso asked, curious.

Fleur nodded, her silken hair shimmering.

"And with an accent like that, you just have to be Australian" said a voice from over Calypso's shoulder. She turned around to look at the speaker.

Studs! was Calypso's first though. Get a load of the Co-workers! Two guys stood behind Calypso, both fit to grace the cover of any girly magazine. The blonde one, who had spoken, reached out a hand and Calypso tried not to oogle.

"Hullo. Are you new as well?" he asked in a british accent. "I'm Will Knight."

"Calypso Grey, and yes, I am an Aussie." Calypso winced as her accent grated on her own ears.

"I am Fleur Delacour, very pleezed to meet you" Fleur repeated, and Will's eyes popped. 

"THE Fleur Delacour? Beauxbatons Champion? Oh..." Will seemed lost for words.

The girl sitting on the opposite side of the couch leant over and smiled nervously at the others. "I'm Charmaine. Charmaine Uyllett, from South Africa." she said quietly in the unusual accent South Africans have, a mixture of posh English, Dutch and Australian. Charmaine had a huge mop of deep brown ringlets cascading down her shoulders and large, brown eyes. "I'm apprenticed to Minerva McGonagall." she added shyly. "Do you know who you are paired up with?"

"I'm with an Arthur Wealsey" said the dark-haired youth standing to the side of Will said. "Oh, I'm Phillip Baunhauser, by the way. From Germany." he added, quite unnessecarily, as it was totally apparent from his slight accent.

"I'm with Patrick Ames" Fleur said uncertinaly. "Which one eez he, do any of you know?"

Will looked around the cluttered room. "Not here yet, sorry. He's about fifty, sixty, got glasses and you'll know him by his hair. He's bald on top, with a crown of grey strands he sweeps over the bald patch." Will chucked to himself. "He's a good old bastard, anyhow, Fleur, youre lucky. He's an old friend of my dad's. I'm with Mundungus Fletcher, and he's a laugh and a half."

"Are all of you going to be student teachers as well?" Phillip asked "Will and I are. I'm teaching Transfiguration, and Will's dong Ancient Runes." Calypso was puzzled, but Charmaine and Fleur nodded.

"I'm doing Arithmacy." said Charmaine quietely

"And I'm teaching Defense against the Dark Arts." Fleur said proudly.

"Well, that makes sense, you ARE the Beauxbatons champion." said Phillip. "Calypso...that was your name, wasn't it? What are you teaching?"

"Nothing.' Calypso said brightly. "I honestly have no idea what youre going on about."

"But..." Fleur said, astonished.

"We all asked by Dumbledore to join the Phoenixes a few months ago. We would also be Student Teachers at Hogwarts during term, because most of the Phoenixes are teachers at the school anyway." Phillip said, puzzled. "I just thought, as you come from Australia, and most of us come from overseas..."

"Unfortunatly, no. And I'm not paired up with anyone, either. I'm here for a different reason from you." Calypso replied, feeling incredibly jeleous.

"So what are you here for?" Charmaine asked, curoius

"I'm a Technical Advisor." Calypso said slyly.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"...and Dmitri is from the Russian Academy of Magic, their top student two years ago. I've paired him up with Arabella Figg, and he'll be assisting Professer Flitwick in Charms." there was a murmur of approval, and then all eyes turned onto Calypso, the last newbie, who was squeezed onto a couch next to Fleur and Will.

Dumbledore paused. "I'd like to introduce you all the Calypso Grey, from Australia. I asked Calypso to join us for a different reason from all the others, actually." Everyone's ears pricked up.

"It seems the fates are favouring us this time around. Calypso turned up uninvited at Remus' house last week and..."

"Impossible!" Frederick Flitwick exclaimed, half jumping out of his plastic deck chair. "I set the Fideus Charm myself! She couldn't have!"

"Normal rules don't apply for Calypso, it seems." Remus said smoothly.

"Anyway," Dumbledore continued, "In the space of a week she's saved half the inhabitants of Peachgrove Village and Mundungus' life." At this there was a great murmur of astonishment and congradulations.

"So, how did you do it?" asked a tall, black haired man with a hooked nose.

Calypso turned to face him, and met cold, suspicious, hard black eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked mildly.

"If I didn't, then why would I ask?" he hissed nastilly.

Calypso gave him a netural look. 

"Because, honey, I'm a Seer" she said simply.

Everyone sitting in Maria's apartment froze. And then chaos broke out.

"Oh please, give us break Dumbleore! Have you lost your wits?" was a particually loud cry from Minerva McGonagall over the snorting and other disdainful noise that was rolling over Calypso's head.

"Quiet!" commanded Dumbledore. Everyone shut their mouths abruptly.

"Believe it or not, Calypso IS a Seer, and she's here to help us." he said frostily.

"Really? What proof do you have?" the tall greasy man sneered.

"My own eyes, Severus." Dumbledore said carefully. 

No-one said anything more, even though Calypso noted many sideways glances and whispered comments as Dumbledore picked up a clipboard and looked it over.

"Firstly, Sirius and Remus, who were on Paperwork this month will give you a rundown on what everyone's been doing."

The pair stood up and Remus cleared his throuat. 

"Well, Sirius has been doing the reports, and I've been trying to crack the codes on the letters we intercept. I haven't had much luck." he admitted ruefully. "Some of the codes are incredibly complex. For example, in one code I could decipher the first line, but none of the rest. Another was just pages of noughts and ones. The ones I did manage to crack kept us one jump ahead of Voldemort, but really, I can't see us cracking the codes Malfoy uses in a hurry. I have those ones here if anyone else wants a shot at them." Remus pointed to a bulky folder at his feet.

Remus sat down and Sirius started talking as Calypso's mind began humming.

"I'll just give you a rundown of the reports." Sirius said. "Firstly, Bill and Julius were stationed at Harry Potter's house. There were four attacks in total, one of them quite a major attempt. Eight Death Eaters were counted, and apparated out before any were captured. One Hit Wizard was slightly injured by a fireblast, though."

Calypso tuned out and looked across the room to Remus as Sirius talked on. 

"Remus..." she said quietly.

"Yes? he said, distracted.

"Could you possible hand me that folder?" 

McGonagall stared at Calypso evilly. "Would you mind being quiet?" she hissed, but Calypso ignored her and took the folder that Remus handed her.

Not listening to what Sirius was saying in the least, Calypso opened the folder and spread the odd scraps of parchment out on her lap, studying them intensely.

Now you see why you are here? Called a familiar voice through Calypso's head.

__

Piss off Virginia! Calypso thought back angrily. _This is my very first night in my new job, and I don't want to cause any major scenes like before! It's bad enough being a Seer and everyone distrusting me without becoming a Prima Donna Mary Sue! No-one likes them, and I want to make a suscess of this!_

__

Exactly WHO got you this job? Huh? You do what I say! Virginia hisssed back.

About ten miniutes later, Sirius had finished his report, and all present started talking among themselves, apart from Calypso, who poured over her twisted bits of paper.

Dumbledore looked at her oddly.

"Have you found anything?" he asked kindly.

Calypso's head came up frowning with thought. "I think I might have." she said slowly. "Remus..."

Lupin broke off his conversation with Li, and faced Calypso expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Did you manage to crack this one?" Calypso asked, holding a leaf of parchment out.

Remus took it, and after a quick glance, handed it back to Calypso.

"No, that's the one I could only get the first line of." he said

Calypso gave a small smile.

"Did it happen to say, by any chance, 

'The Dark Lord Most High, your loyal subjects are now all informed of the port-key for the next meeting place?" The general babble broke down, and Calypso was aware of everyone slowly looking at her.

"How did you know that?" Remus asked breathily.

"But wait, there's more!" Calypso exclaimed theatrically.

"...and I am fixing that matter up with the Magical Transportation Office as we speak. Rest assured, my Lord, as usual there will be no trace. I have a shortlist of possible new recruits into our Eater tribe. All are members of DAYM and have my complete..." she stopped suddenly, aware that no-one in the room was breathing.

"Yes? And?" Sinistra coaxed her.

"That's all I know" Calypso said flatly. "That's where the words turned into code and my dream ended."

"A dream?" Mundungus asked, and Calypso told them the main points of her dream.

"Give me fifteen miniutes and I betcha I can have this code cracked." she said into the suspicious silence. "Anyone got a pen?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ben squeezed his eyes shut tightly as the capsule started dropping at high speed and his stomach lurched uncomfortably. Rattling, shaking and clanging, the capsule sped towards the ground at Diagon Alley. Blood was pulsating behind Ben's eyes, throbbing in his ears, which were completly blocked. He tried to swallow but couldn't, and instead clenched his teeth. 

There was a scream, a whine and the harsh, drawn-out sound of metal scraping on metal as the capsule slowed down. Ben felt like his stomach had suddenly exited his body via the top of his head.

Just as he thought he was going to scream or spew (he had just opened his mouth to do one or the other) the capsule hit the ground with an almighty crash that knocked all the wind out of his lungs. If it wasn't for the cramped conditions he was in, he would have colapsed into a heap. Instead, he stayed exactly where he was as the capsule rolled over and over, making the nauseated Ben feel like he was in a washing machiene. Then with a thunk that jarred Ben's whole body, the capusle finally came to rest.

Panting, trying to draw a shuddering breath in the tiny, humid, dark capsule, Ben tried to compse himself into something more substantial then jelly as the taped message from BPKP (always a pleasure, never a chore) thanked him for flying BPKP, hoped he had a nice journey and wished him well in England.

With a pneumatic hiss, Ben was blinded by the light invading the insides of the pitch black capsule.

"How was your trip, mate?" boomed a raucous voice from the light. 

Ben just kept his mouth firmly shut as he undid his harness and a huge hand dragged him out of the capsule, up onto his feet. He discovered that his legs would not support him on the hot tarmac, and the only thing keeping him up was Kevin's firm grip on his upper arm.

"You all right there, Ben mate?" Kevin asked, looking at his pasty companion.

Ben very carefully shaped his words. 

"I think I'm going to be sick." he said very slowly, and Kevin groaned. With a flick of his wand, a sick-bag attached itself onto Ben's mouth just in the nick of time.

When Ben had finished, Kevin slapped him on the back, causing another convulsion.

"Not a bad effort, Hunter. But still, Mitchell over there beats you by a country mile. He landed twenty minutes ago, and he's still going strong. In fact, I think everyone tasted last night's dinner."

"Roast beef." Ben said sadly.

"Chicken Curry." Kevin said with a straight face. "Burnt on the way down, burnt on the way up. C'mon, you're the last one, let's get moving."

And with that, Kevin half-carried, half dragged Ben through Customs and into England.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"All are members of DAYM and have my complete confidence.' There's a list here." Calypso said.

"Then it says, "The Death Eater Tribe from Australia are saftely hidden, as your commands. They will be attending the meeting, and eagerly await new orders.

Yours faithfully, 

Lucius Malfoy.

And that's where it ends." Calypso finished. "Rather boring, sorry."

"What'z DAYM?" Fleur asked, puzzled.

"Dark Arts Youth Movement." replied Amos Diggory with a growl. "Just like the Hitler Youth, if you ask me."

McGonagall waved a hand dismissivly. "It doesn't tell us anything we already didn't know."

There was a murmur of agreement at this from the odd assortment of people squished into Maria's apartment.

Calypso smiled sweetly at them. "But, dears, now that I know this code, I can read anything else they send in this format. And I'm working on the rest, too. Some of them are in muggle code. Like this one," Calypso said, dragging out a sheet of parchment covered in noughts and ones. "Now, I'm not the expert on this, but I think this is all just binary code, used in programming computers. All I'd have to do is feed all this into an old computer and it should spew out a letter."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, Minerva, but that MAY tell us something we don't already know." Sirius said slyly.

Calypso grinned weakly at him. It was nice to have someone sticking up for you, Calypso thought. Minerva and Snape seemed to have something against her, for some reason. Calypso found this highly depressing.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Once Ben had cleared Customs he felt a little better, but as he picked up his baggage he felt quite sick when he heard things rattle inside it. When he had packed his bag, nothing rattled.

"Oh I can't believe it!" Ben exclaimed.

Kevin leant over. "You didn't pack breakables, did you?"

Ben swore loudly and scowled.

Kevin grabbed his own bag and headed out into the reception to meet the British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

As he approached, he heard loud, Australian-accented voices raised in anger.

Oh dear, Kevin though, coming closer and seeing Wilson, the leader of their group arguing with an important robed figure that he recognized as Fudge. Tapping Holden, the only female member of the team on her shoulder, he asked what was going on.

Alice Holden was white with anger. "He's messed up how many of us are coming. He's only got accommodation for eleven, not twelve, can you believe it? He's the leader of this Magical Community, and he can't even count..."

Eventually, some sort of agreement was reached, and the knot of people moved out of the stuffy building and onto the dark, hot paved street of Diagon Alley.

Ben tugged his case along him - he had bewitched it to become feather-light, and then levitated it so it floated along - and oogled at the buildings, and spotting a party in one. Since he had left Australia at eleven thirty in the morning, he was full of energy, and sneakily considered jumping out his hotel window to join them.

They stopped in front of an archway that led onto what looked like the back of a pub, and were ushered in through the back door.

Ben blinked, his eyes adjusting to the new, dim lighting inside the bar. He had barely time to take in the features of the room before he was herded up a large wooden staircase behind everyone else. A wizened, bald old man in the front of the queue of travel-sick Aurors gave the wizard at the front of the line a small phial, a key and pointed him into a room. They slowly moved forward, each Auror recieving their phial of Dreamless Sleep potion to help combat the 12 hour time difference, and their allocated room. Finally, Kevin, who was standing in front of Ben, disappeared behind a heavy oak door, and Ben turned expectantly to the innkeeper.

"So you've drawn the short straw, have you?" the toothless old man asked Ben with a wry chuckle. Ben had no idea what he was going on about, and told the innkeeper so.

"We've run out of rooms," the innkeeper explained, walking further down the hallway and beckoning for Ben to follow, "so the others charitably volunteered their apprentice to sleep in the attic. You are Ben Hunter, aren't you?"

Suddenly feeling rather depressed, Ben nodded. "Should've known," he said miserably. "All you do as an apprentice is sweep the floors, make cups of coffee and do jobs your superiors don't want to."

This time the innkeeper laughed out loud as he grabbed the wooden knob swinging from the ceiling at the end of the hallway and pulled it down, revealing a flight of dusty steps.

"Your room, sir." he said, still chuckling. Then he was suddenly serious. "I also don't have any Dreamless Sleep potion for you, so you'll just have to try and doze the best you can. My name's Tom, and just give a yell if you have any problems."

"Thanks." Ben said glumly and walked up the stairs, dragging his suitcase behind him.

The staircase behind him closed with a dull thunk that made the dust fly. Ben looked mournfully around. Walking stooped, as the ceiling was sloped, he made his way over to the rickety old iron bed and dumped his case beside it, sending up another cloud of dust and an ear-wrenching screech of metal on metal from the bed.. Ben went to the window and eventually forced it open, the cool outside air breathing new life into the musty, hot, poky little room.

Ben sighed, and started unpacking his suitcase.

********************

Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Tell them." Dumbledore said simply, and Snape nodded.

"Snape's a double agent," Will whispered in Calypso's ear. "He's..."

"Well, out worst fears are confirmed." Snape started, looking around the motley crew assembled int Maria's flat.

"The Australiasian Death Eaters are here, and they plan on some serious action."

A collective moan rose through the Phoenixes. 

"Voldemort has some sort of plan for them, that I'm not privy to. The rest of the English Death Eaters have to play second fiddle to this new lot, and I'm happy to say it's hacking Malfoy right off."

Calypso slowly woke up. It was past midnight, and even though all the other new recruits were hanging onto every word spoken, and had offered quite a few themselves, Calypso had been daydreaming for the last few hours, and at times her head had fallen onto Fleur's shoulder. Calypso had only spoken twice, when she was introduced and when she asked about the codes. 

She knew she should be riveted by what was said, but she wasn't. 

Maria had told her before the meeting started that there were people who would (not just literaly) kill to hear what was being said. Calypso, in reply, had told Maria that meetings were not her 'thing' and not to get embarrassed if she fell asleep. But what was being said now caught her attention smartly.

"Malfoy is smart." Amos Diggory said from a large lazy-boy. "How did he get demoted?"

Snape scowled - a sight Calypso was already used to seeing on the lanky man's face. "I don't know." Snape replied testily. "Voldemort is sick of his Death Eaters failing, and from what I've heard, these Australaisian imports are very good at their job."

"If you call killing innocent wizards a job." Mad Eye Moody growled.

"Not just Wizards." Dumbledore corrected. "These people were more than Death Eaters. They were Terrorists."

"You can't be serious!" Charmaine said suddenly. 

"Oh yes he is." Arabella Figg said into the startled faces of half the room. "Those Australasians killed an awful lot of Muggles. They started riots, civil insurrections and coups all through the South Pacific and Indonesia. That's what comes from a former prison colony." she added bitterly at the end.

Julius Mackintosh, a haunted looking man of about 25 spoke confidently into the shocked noise of the room. "The Ministry will have to accept that something is going on now, won't they? He'll have to take it seriously for once, Fudge isn't that stupid to ignore the fact that terrorists have escaped and have turned up on his patch!"

Heads nodded sagely, and murmurs rolled around the room. Calypso sat bolt upright, feeling a strong sense of deja vu. Where had she heard all this before?

"I read somewhere they were responsible for the 1986 Fijian Coup." Will added to Calypso's worries. Suddenly it hit her, where she had heard this conversation before.

"Excuse me..." she said shyly.

No-one paid her any attention.

Calypso looked around, trying to grab attention, but everyone gathered were riveted on the conversation.

"Excuse me." she said a little louder.

Sirius, from the other side of the room and a camping stool, looked at her inquiringly.

Looking at Sirius, Calypso felt immensely grateful. Since he had walked into Maria's apartment, he was a changed man. He was no longer offhand, flamboyant, or troublemaking, but instead serious and alert.

"What's up?" he mouthed across the din to Calypso, who was looking extremely worried.

"Sirius, I think we have a rather serious problem. If I'm right..." Calypso started to say, but an angry voice cut in.

"But you're probably wrong, so go read palms somewhere else and leave us to do some real work!" Minerva McGonagall snapped sharply at Calypso.

Calypso concentrated on breathing, and was aware that her face had gone scarlet with anger. Ignoring Sirius, who was shooting furious looks at McGonagall, she slowly and sedately got to her feet and brushed off her jeans. 

"What are you doing?" Will asked her as she walked past.

"Reading palms." Calypso replied, making a zig-zagging beeline around the chairs and sofas in Maria's apartment. Reaching the large ranchslider that opened onto the balcony over Diagon Alley, Calypso concentrated for a moment and listened to the conversation behind her.

"They are nothing we can't handle, really? I mean, they are just Death Eaters with a reputation when you get down to it..."

"No, they are totally different. We need a different approach if we want to stay alive. These lot are bloodthirsty psychos. I've heard they kill just for the fun of it."

Calypso quietly slid the glass door open, so that the sound was masked from the din within. She took a careful step outside and looked up.

There was:

the top of the ranch slider, 

the clay gutters, 

a hand, 

and the deep navy sky with glittering stars.

One of these things aren't like the other one,

One of these things aren't quite the same.

One of these things just don't belong here,

Now it's time to play our game!

It's time to play our game! 

Calypso mentally sang the tune from Sesame Street to herself as she gracefully reached up, and suddenly leapt, grasping firmly onto the hand that had lazily fallen over the side of the roof.

Clinging onto the brawny wrist and tucking her knees up, she heard a desperate yell from above as the person lost balance and Calypso use her dead weight to pull him over the side of the roof.

Black robes flew past Calypso's face as the hooded Death Eater fell down next to her, landing with a sickening crash on the solid balcony.

To give the Phoenixes credit, they reacted quickly and intelligently. As soon as they saw a robed figure fall off the roof, they leapt into action. Five ran to the balcony, three dashed into other rooms to try other windows, and the rest thundered down the stairwell, wands in hand. 

Calypso leapt to her feet as the burly Death Eater sprawled out on the ground moaned and started to get up. Suddenly a jet of light shot under her arm and hit the Death Eater in the middle of his back. There was a noise from the roof of many feet suddenly moving.

Dumbledore, who had Stupefied the Death Eater, didn't even give Calypso a second glance as he sprinted out the door, his face hard. With a swish of his wand, sparks leapt from its wooden end and he shot up, and disappeared over the edge of the roof. 

Phillip was next up, and Calypso could see McGonagall dashing through the open ranch slider. Eyes narrowing, Calypso jumped up onto the railing, and leapt to grab the edge of the gutter. Praying that it wouldn't break, she heaved herself up and over the edge, and rolled onto the roof.

####################

Tiles digging into her arms, Calypso looked around as yells and explosions suddenly started flying through the previously still night air.

The roof was totally uneven. The apartments must have been built independently, for each had their own roof that met at interesting angles to their neighbors. Combined with the numerous chimneys from both the apartments and the shops below, along with weathervanes, lightning rods and other funny things Calypso didn't recognize, it looked remarkably like an obstacle course.

Another jet of colored light flashed past, hitting a weathervane, shattering it into tiny fragments of metal. Calypso used the shrapnel as cover as she leapt to her feet and jumped over the apex of the roof, landing onto her shoulder and rolling down the other side. She stopped when she rolled straight into Remus, who looked grim. Calypso crawled on her elbows over to him, and started to talk over the blasts.

"How many?" she asked quickly.

"Dunno. At least six or so. We outnumber them, but it's harder to take them alive than dead, so they have the advantage."

"But they don't have surprise any more!" Dumbledore said from Calypso's left, and Calypso allowed herself a smile.

Calypso noticed that most of the Phoenixes were also huddled at the roof join she was in, and was strongly reminded of the Trenches of WWI. She looked across to Charmaine, who was two people to Calypso's left. Her lip was quivering, but her eyes were hard and her wand was steadily held in her right hand.

Calypso had a sudden though. "They were spread out." She said to the air.

"What?" Remus asked her, suddenly leaping up to shoot off a random stunner over the horizon of the roof.

"They were spread out all over the roof." Calypso repeated. "Has anyone checked up on all the nooks and crannies behind us? One or two could be..." 

The words were only out of her mouth when there was a sudden shriek from further along the row of Phoenixes. 

Like an overgrown bat, a hooded figure had leapt out of behind a chimney block and latched onto the nearest leg, which was Fleur's. She kicked out viciously while turning to point her wand at her assailant, but it was too late. Before anyone could react, Fleur and the hooded figure seemed to flinch, and then they were gone. 

"PORTKEYS!" Amos Diggory yelled.

"SHIT!" Sirius hissed. "This changes things. They want to take us alive!"

__

What the hell do you think you are doing up here girly? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Virginia shrieked into her skull. _Get down now! You've done what you were supposed to, that was to warn them. Stop playing Superwoman here, you haven't got a wand, you know no spells, and there's nothing you can do apart from hinder the others or become a corpse!_

Calypso suddenly made her mind up. 

She turned, and started crawling along the line of Phoenixes, keeping low to avoid the curses and hexes that were whooshing dangerously close over her head like a volley of shooting stars.

__

Good! Virginia sounded relieved. _So you finally got yourself some brains and are following my orders now. Thank God for that._

At the end of the roof, Calypso took a deep breath, a firm grip on the guttering, and dropped over the edge, to dangle monkey-like from the edge.

Fingers straining, she closed her eyes and mentally summoned as much magic as she could to float as the gutter was creaking and buckling under her weight. 

She opened her eyes, and was delighted to see that she was semi-floating along the roofline. She started to swing along, watching out carefully for any signs of movement.

__

What the hell are you doing? Virginia's voice crackled to life inside her skull.

Ending all this! Calypso snarled back, sweat trickling down her face. Now shut up! If I loose my concentration I'm going to fall two stories onto cobblestones!

Suddenly, there was a huge earsplitting explosion that rocked the buildings. Heat blasted over the roof, and the scream of tortured metal combined with the scream of a human. Calypso bit her lip, screwed up her eyes and held on as she swung madly around in the shockwave.

Finally under control, Calypso ignored best she could the moans of pain and the yells coming from the rooftop and clambered on, getting the traces of a biting headache from concentrating on her magic so hard. 

She swung around the edge of the building, and nearly kicked Severus Snape in the back of the head. 

Snape grabbed her ankle and held on tight.

"What are you doing?" he growled, his torso hanging out the bathroom window.

Moonlight and flares from spells lit up his eyes eerily, and Calypso felt her skin prickle.

"Going around the back of the Death Eaters, what does it look like?" she snapped back, trying to kick her ankle free.

Snape hung on tight.

"You foolish little girl," he hissed maliciously. "They have spells up so you can't. Do you think these people are amateurs?"

Calypso felt fury build up inside of her, and tried to restrain it.

"No," she snarled dangerously, eyes flashing. 

"I think you lot are."

She angrily kicked Snape's wrist with her other foot, and he let out a yelp, releasing her foot. Before Snape could protest, Calypso monkey-walked forward to face a shimmering opaque screen that stretched across the sky, flickering with tiny multi-colored bolts of lightning that were humming ominously.

Calypso took a deep breath, narrowed her eyes at the spell, and before Snape could let loose a cry of warning, or before a horrified Virginia could stop her, she reached forward and swung through the barrier with a determined growl.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Ben gave a start at the first spell that crashed into a house, and made his rickety old bed moan and shriek in metallic protest. 

What the hell? He though.

Sudddenly, an orange comet flashed past the tiny window in his room. 

Then an aquamarine one.

Ben leapt up, legs tangled in the sheets. Cursing and falling out of bed and onto the floor with a resounding crash, he hopped over to the window, legs bound hopelessly together with the sheets.

He pressed his nose hard against the glass and peered out.

Furthur down the road on the same side of the curving alley, figures were pouring out of the house that was having the party and onto the roof, to be received with multi-colored hexes and curses. It looked like a sinister version of Guy Fawkes Day.

Windows and doors were thrown open, and angry, complaining faces popped out all down the street. The faces soon popped back in, now looking terrified. Shutters were closed, and glistening protection spells quickly appeared on buildings.

Ben's face dropped as he realized what was going on. Ripping the sheets off his legs, and tearing a large hole in the process, he turned to run down the stairs and regroup with the rest of his team. He had only taken a few steps when he realized the horrible reality. 

They had all taken Dreamless Sleep Potion.

SHIT! Ben mouthed silently, and did some fast thinking, while running over to his bedside table for his wand.

Turning to the window, he opened the lock with Alohomora and it swung open as more spells sped past, lighting up the street below.

Ben had one leg on the windowsill, trying unsuccessfully to squeeze out the tiny opening when he realized what he was wearing.

Cursing again, he leapt back inside and groped around on the floor for a pair of shorts. Hopping on one foot, he tried to drag on his shorts while keeping an eye on what was happening outside. Just as he pulled them up, there was a fiery woosh and emerald green jet of light illuminated the whole window and...

The next thing Ben knew he was lying on the floor, all the breath knocked out of his lungs. Wheezing in the smoke, he rolled unsteadily to his feet.

Where his uncomfortable bed had been, there was a wonderful view of the stars.

The spell had smashed a large hole in the roof, obliterating everything in it's path, and severely bruising Ben.

Ben scowled. 

Now it was personal.

"Aqueous." Ben snarled, and water hosed out of the end of his wand to put out the small fires that were blazing among the wreckage.

Wand in hand, and now semi-decently attired, he climbed over fallen beams and tiles out onto the roof to join in the fray.

####################

Remus could pinpoint the moment where the battle changed tone. It was about five minutes after Fleur was captured when their opponents lost direction and began to fight as individuals.

Sirius had grinned. "Looks like someone knocked off their leader!" he chuckled evilly.

Within fifteen minutes, the enemy was falling to pieces, starting to panic as one Death Eater after another were Stupefied.

Remus wriggled forward a little more, and aimed carefully.

"Stupefy." he said solemnly, and watched a jet of pink light race directly towards a bulky, hooded figure.

Score! he thought, but in the split seconds before the spell hit the hooded figure, the Death Eater disappeared.

Suddenly, it was all quiet, the only sound the lonely woosh of the breeze running over the rooftops on the cool summer's night.

Remus sat, stunned for a few seconds before the miserable feeling of defeat sank in.

A growl of anger rippled across the roof, and a few figures, covered in soot, blood and other debris stood up.

Arthur marched across to Sirius, his right side covered in purple slime.

"We lost them," he said simply. "They all had Portkeys for the retreat..." he left the statment hanging in the air as the rest of the Phoenixes walked or staggered across.

"We did more than loose them," Dumbeldore said sadly, "we lost Fleur."

Maria looked up from where she was working frantically on Li's torso, which was cut to ribbons.

"Where's Calypso?" she asked, worried.

She wasn't there, but Snape gave Dumbledore a 'I need to speak to you' look.

"I'd say they got her." He said heavily.

"That's two newbies we've lost on their first night." Amos Diggory said, shaking slightly, his beard singed away to almost nothing. "Where are the other ones?"

Philip was uninjured, William had a heavy slash in one leg. Charmaine's eyebrows were singed and her legs grazed and Dmitri had a burnt arm.

"How many Death Eaters did we get?" Flitwick asked.

"Four, Stupefied. All still out cold." Arabella replied, jerking her head in the direction of the now-ruined roof of Diagon Alley. 

They all sat down, and waited, wrapped up in their own thoughts, but all feeling that four for two was a bad deal.

In a matter of seconds, a flock of broomsticks appeared, speeding over the rooftops. They spread out, and circled the rooftops. Suddenly, a spotlight lit up the rooftop, blinding all on it.

"Here we go again." muttered Bill Weasly.

"STAND UP! DROP YOUR WANDS AND RAISE YOUR ARMS!" a magically magnified voice boomed down Diagon Alley. Sighing, the Phoenixes did so, apart from Li, who stayed lying where he was and Maria, who kept working.

Seven Hit Wizards in deep navy robes landed, while another seven stayed hovering in mid air, wands at the ready.

A tough-looking man walked up to Dumbledore, who smiled back. The Hit Wizard made a gesture with one arm and another wizard gave him what looked like a pair of opera glasses. The Hit Wizard lifted them up and looked at Dumbledore through them. He then moved on to scrutinize every person on the roof through his opera glasses. 

Finally, he lowered them and gave the thumbs-up, having found no Polyjuice drinkers.

The Hit Wizards who were still flying landed and professionally started combing the rooftop for bodies.

The leader of the Hit Wizards walked back up to Dumbledore, this time with a friendly face.

"Sorry we couldn't get here sooner." he said in a broad accent. "There was a diversion over in..."

Dumbledore waved a hand dismissivly. 

The Hit Wizard saw the troubled look on Dumbledore's face. "What happened?" he asked.

Dumbeldore sighed. "They were waiting, on the roof. We were having our meeting below. Luckily, we had a tip-off from a new member..."

"Tip-off?" The Hit Wizard looked at Dumbledore excitedly. "Could you introduce us?"

Dumbeldore shook his head. "Sorry, Danny, no can do. They got two of us. She was one."

Danny swore and stamped his foot angrily. "How many did you get?"

"Four..." Dumbledore began, but he was cut off by a yell and a volley of spells from further back on the roof.

"OI!" came a loud, angry voice. "Cut that out for chrissake! I'm on your side you stupid..."

Luckily for Ben, they Stupefied him before he could finish his sentence, for what he was about to say would not have endeared him to the Hit Wizards or Phoenixes.

They dragged his prone figure out, down into better lighting.

"He one of yours?" Danny asked Dumbledore.

"No, he's not from around here. Accent sounded Australian, too. Could be a Death Eater." Dumbeldore said, looking at Ben closely.

"But he's not cloaked or anything." Patrick Ames remarked.

"Hey, I recognise him!" Philip said suddenly. "He got a Death Eater before it jumped me from behind!"

"Well well! You say we should hear his side of the story?" Danny asked, and unstupified Ben.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Ben blinked and opened his eyes. 

His head hurt.

There were people staring at him.

He let out a groan and sat up, watching the world swim. The world came right, and he looked up at Dumbledore, and sorted out his thought.

Aware that everyone was watching his every move, wands ready, he slowly stood up and gave his hand to Dumbledore.

"Hello." he said slowly. "You must be Dumbledore. My name is Ben Hunter. I was supposed to meet you tomorrow. I'm one of the Australian Aurors."

Dumbledore, to his credit, wasn't even slightly unraveled at the sight of a brownskinned youth politely introducing himself on a floodlit rooftop which happened to be a battle scene, surrounded by Hit Wizards and wearing only a pair of shorts, the wrong way around. He shook the hand offered. 

"I'm VERY pleased to meet you, but where are the others?"

Ben scowled. "They all got Dreamless Sleep Potion. Apparently, the generosity of your Ministry doesn't include getting enough to give to the Apprentice as well, so yours truly gets to sleep in the attic without any Potion. It was hard enough to go to sleep as it was, but when someone carelessly exploded my room, it got even harder. So there I was, full of beans and nowhere to sleep, so I felt obliged to get involved."

"Oh." Dumbledore said. "If we could..." He was cut off by Danny.

"I know this is going to sound rude, but you are going to have to go with the us to the Station so we can take a statement and confirm who you are, sonny." Danny said gruffly. "Sorry Dumbledore, but we need to do it. Can you spare someone for a statement?"

Dumbeldore looked annoyed, but conceded. "Flitwick can give a statement. He'll be over by that melted chimney if you want him. Mr. Hunter," he said, turning to Ben, who was being handcuffed, "Thank you. I'll inform your comrades of where you have gone when they wake up. Hopefully, you'll be back with us soon."

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The suspects had just left when there was a sudden yell from a Hit Wizard stationed on the left side of the building.

"WHO GOES THERE?" he shouted to the figure walking up the sidestreet far below.

"ME!" Calypso bellowed back.

All of a sudden, Snape pushed past the crowd of interested people straining for a look to see who it was, and leapt (with some magical assistance) down onto the street below. He landed just in front of the tired Calypso.

He looked her dangerously.

She stared him straight in the eye.

A dangerous silence settled.

"I know." he said simply, and Calypso suppressed a shudder of fright.

"So," she said arrogantly, "what are you going to do? She put her ands on her hips and tried to stare him down, but her insides had turned to liquid. "Dob me in?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"No," Snape said eventually. "I've got to get you out of here."

And with that, Snape suddenly grabbed Calypso's wrist and took off at a run down Diagon Alley.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"What is Snape doing?" McGonagall asked in amazement, as Snape yanked Calypso off her feet, and dragged her down Diagon Alley and out through the back of the Leaky Cauldron.

Dumbledore frowned. "I think he knows something that we don't." 

********************

Calypso stumbled down the aisle of the Knight Bus, looking wide-eyed at the brass bedsteads and the figures illuminated in the flickering candlelight. Suddenly, the bus took off with a bang, and Calypso slammed into the spotty teenaged Conductor who was leading the way to a spare bed.

"Ooof! Oh, sorry!" she said as she stepped back.

"That's okay," Stan replied. "Let's see...you'll 'ave to go upstairs, down here is all full up. There's one old lady up there, you won't be bovvered by her."

The staircase Calypso had to climb was so steep and thin it was like a ladder. She finally hauled herself up onto the top floor of the double-decker bus, and collapsed into the nearest bed with a groan. The bus slammed on its brakes, and Calypso's bed skidded forward a bit to smash into the next one.

She lay drunkenly on her bed, thinking morosely about what had just happened.

Snape knew.

Rest assured, he would tell the others.

But the question was, how would they react...

Calypso thought about what Snape had said to her as he pushed her onto the Knight Bus.

"113 Hogsmeade Road. Tell the door that 'All dogs should be shot on sight' and it'll let you in. Shut the door, go into the cellar, stay there and don't drink any of my wines. I mean it, stay there. I'll sort this out and get you later."

But how was he sorting it out...

Calypso felt the need to cry. Too many things had happened in one day.

Eyes welling up with tears, half of self-pity and half of exhaustion, she blinked long blonde lashes to try and stop her eyes misting over, but fat droplets trickled down her cheeks, and she let out a quiet sob. 

There was a graunch and moan from the other occupied bed as the old lady got up.

"Now now dear, why are you crying?" she said in a husky voice that had seen too many Rothmans. The old lady toddled over to her bed, and Calypso felt warning bells ring in her tear-fuzzy head.

With a gasp, she realized what was wrong too late.

The old lady had an Australian accent.

Calypso looked up past her tears into the end of a wand.

"Stupefy."

####################

Stan struggled up the stairs with a pot of tea and a toothbrush - the pot of tea for the old lady, and the toothbrush for the girl.

"Oi, here's your tea!" he called as he struggled up the staircase.

There was no reply.

The old lady and girl were gone.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

__

Thanks again to Allylupin, my fantastic Beta-reader!

Disclaimer - all JK Rowling's stuff belongs to JK Rowling. Not me. I'm nowhere near that good.

Now, everyone, take note of the little box down the bottom of the screen here.

That is for you to write an intelligent review in.

If you don't feel like writing an intelligent review, I still like unintelligent ones, but I like intelligent ones better. 

A few letters will make me smile.

So everyone, smile and write a review. At least so I can read your work or check out who you are!


	11. To belong or not to belong...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Snape trod his way back to Maria's house after pushing a frightened nineteen-year old girl onto the Knight Bus and telling her where to go. As Calypso had stumbled down the aisle, Snape had a few quiet words to Ernie, the bus driver, and slipped him a Galleon. 

He would have only given the doddery old driver a Sickle, but Galleons were all that Snape had in his pocket, damn it. At least Ernie would make especially sure that Calypso would get off at 114 Hogsmeade Road. And since Snape had slipped him a Galleon, Ernie may see that Calypso went safely down into his cellar. 

Snape smiled to himself. The 'don't touch the wine in my cellar' line had worked well. Snape was sure that Calypso would follow his words and go into the cellar straight away, with the promise that there were numerous wines to help 'pass the time'.

Snape knew modern teenagers.

Only, there were no wines in Snape's cellar. Well, not the cellar that would appear when Calypso told the front door 'all dogs should be shot on site.'

The spell was a variation on a very simple one, but Snape secretly prided himself on it. 

When the password 'all dogs should be shot on site' were said to the door, it activated the illusion spell that changed the whole layout of his house. 

The real cellar, filled with vintage wines, port and sherry, would be concealed. A fake entrance to a cellar, beginning in his broom closet off the front entrance, and marked 'CELLAR' would appear, and to all appearances, it was a genuine cellar. 

The stairwell to the 'cellar' actually was a wonderful little spell. The person entering the stairwell would walk down that stairwell to eternity. The stairwell did not end, and the person walked nowhere. They would walk down the same step over and over, and thanks to a forgetfulness charm built into the steps, time was not relevant.

Also, the door behind the poor person on the steps would shut and seal with a spell only Snape could break.

Snape had designed it for Sirius Black, just in case he ever came to the door. Just in case. 

He would tell Black to get some wine from to cellar – he knew Black liked good quality alcohol – and hey presto, Snape had the Wizarding Watch's Most Dangerous Criminal locked up in his closet. Brilliant.

Sure, it was highly illegal to keep a person prisoner without their knowledge. Or to keep a person prisoner at all! But Snape had felt he was working for the greater good. The means justify the end, he thought to himself as he had put the finishing touches on the spell.

Only now Snape knew he would never use it to catch Black. In the end, he had to reluctantly accept Black as a Phoenix, after he had seen Peter Pettigrew alive and kicking. Such a pity to spin such a fine spiderweb, and then to let it hang dormant. 

But now…

Calypso would be safest there. 

From everyone.

Still limping along in the shadows of Diagon Alley, Snape knew he was nearing Maria's flat when he could smell smoke on the wind.

He rounded a turn in the street and had a look at the battle scene that was clearing as the smoke blew away. 

Shell-shocked wizards and witches were slowly coming out of their scorched houses to stand, dazed, trying to assess damage. Some houses, still with glimmering protection spells up, were unharmed. Most were damaged slightly.

The worst hit were Maria's flat and the top story of the Leaky Cauldron.

The latter was missing its whole roof on one side. Snape could see a chest of drawers in pieces on the cobblestones in front of him, along with the timber, iron and tiles littering the road, all burnt to near ash by powerful spells.

Maria's house was a write-off.

It must have been a Bombspell, that huge explosion just after Fleur was captured. It had torn apart Maria's small flat. Not even the floor was left. Only this gaping void in a line of happy houses along the street.

Snape scowled and walked around a chimney that was in his path. Out of the smoke came a broad wizard dressed in black robes, marked with bright yellow letters, HW – a hit wizard. 

"'Scuse me sir, this is a disaster area, I'd ask you to step back please." The Hit Wizard said in a monotone.

Snape ignored him, and kept walking.

"Oi! You! Stop, in the name of the Ministry!" the Hit Wizard called out, annoyed, as Snape came closer.

Snape slowly turned around and gave the wizard a murderous glare. The wizard held it for a few moments, and then looked to the left, and let Snape brush past him.

He found Maria sitting in the middle of the street, hopelessly crying.

Oh God, here we go. Women crying, Snape thought uneasily.

"Stop crying, Maria." He said frostily. "I though you were a professional."

Maria turned large, wet Latin eyes on him that glinted anger.

"Shut the hell up." She snapped as tears ran down her cheeks. "You didn't just have your house destroyed."

"Why cry over that horrible little hovel?" Snape challenged her, looking up at the remains of her flat.

Snape couldn't understand women when they were upset, and was oblivious to the fact at that moment in time he was closer to having his throat torn out than ever before in his life.

"You'll get bucketloads of insurance money. Enough to rebuild the apartment into something tasteful." He continued.

"It's not just the house." Maria snapped back. "Fleur and Calypso…" wet tears dribbled down her cheeks again.

Snape wheeled away, walking to a knot of people partly obscured by smoke. One he recognized as Dumbledore. As he got closer, he could recognize McGonagall, Amos Diggory, Bill Weasely and…dammit! Black, in dogform. Of course, he couldn't be spotted in Diagon Alley by the general public.

Dumbledore turned, his half-moon glasses glinted in the moonlight as Snape marched up to him.

"Severus." Dumbeldore said blandly as a way of greeting. "What's up with those antics before?"

McGonagall and Diggory both eyed Snape, interested. 

Snape gave the others an odd look.

"Let's step inside, shall we?" Snape said pleasantly, gesturing to a shop with smashed windows. Snape grinned inwardly. Oh, to see Black's face when he hears this….

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Name."

"Benedict Hunter."

"Age."

"Twenty."

"Address."

"Wop-wops Villa, P.O Box 420, The Rectory, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand."

Richard Masterton leant back on his chair and looked at the suspect sitting across the desk from him. Sitting on Richard's lap was a photo, stapled to a three-foot report on Ben's life.

The photo matched – a young, handsome Maori youth with deep black hair and eyes, and a wicked grin. Just some question, then, and he'd finally pass.

"So, do you live on your own?"

"Nah. I flat with eight other people."

Tick.

"Name them."

"Ian Gates. Renee Tsai. Gary Studholme. Malcolm Knox. Melody Grey. Aria Grey. Jared Carrington. And Ashleigh Hunter, my little sister."

Tick.

"What's your grandmother's name? And how is she?"

"Old Kuia? Dead." Ben replied flatly. "Died about eight years back, I think. Home invasion. Someone shot her. Her name was Piata Mahana, a damm good witch. Her husband was Wiremu Mahana. He died in WWII."

Tick.

"Where do you work?"

"Ministry Of Magic, Law Enforcement Section. I'm an apprentice Auror."

Tick.

"What are you doing in England?"

"Devil's Island fell, right? Apparently, since He-who-must-not-be-named's base is up here, we're here to find and track down our fellow countrymen. Any more questions?"

Tick.

Ben's good humor was quickly disintegrating. Tired, hungry and jet-lagged, he desperately wanted to go home to bed.

"No, that's fine. All matches up with what I have here. Thanks, Mr. Hunter. Your co-operation is vastly appreciated." Richard stacked up the parchments on his desk, and showed Ben to the door.

In the Police Headquarters hallway, a rather groggy Kevin sat on a chair.

"Oh, there you are!" Ben's tutor said tiredly.

"Good to see ya, Kev." Ben mumbled, and fell in step behind Kevin.

"Sheez, I can't leave you alone for a hour and you blow up a whole street! What the hell am I going to do with you, boy?" Kevin grumbled.

"It wasn't me! And I didn't have a choice if I wante-" Ben's indignant reply was cut off.

"Nah, just fooling with ya mate." Kevin chuckled sleepily, and turned to look Ben in the eye. "Good job. Wouldn't have expected anything less of ya."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Snape led Dumbledore, McGonagall, Diggory, Bill and Snuffles into the back room of the shop, where they all waited in anticipation for Snape to explain what was going on. Severus watched Sirius change into his scruffy human form and stood there with a smirk on his face that he knew would irritate Black.

Sure enough, it did.

"What do you look so happy about?" Sirius growled.

Snape just smirked more.

McGonagall cut into the charged air that was being formed between the two old adversaries.

"Spit it out, Snape. What on earth is going on?"

"Well…" he started slowly.

When he had finished even Dumbledore had his jaw on the ground, a sight never seen before.

Bill choked a little, and then uncertainly questioned what he had just heard.

"You are saying that Calypso…"

"…is a Death Eater." Snape finished.

"And your proof is?" Sirius asked dangerously.

"As I just told you, the only people who could go through that barrier were members of the Australasian Death Eater tribe!" Snape barked back. "I saw Calypso swing through that barrier! With my own eyes!"

Sirius started to say something, but was cut off by Snape.

"Also, apart from getting through the barrier which would have fried anyone else, she managed to appear, unscathed, after the battle! Now, I ask you, how did she manage to do that?

Suddenly McGonagall, who had been wrapped up in her own thoughts, spoke.

"She wasn't a Seer." Minerva said slowly. "She didn't see the future, she simply knew what was planned. 

The attack on Peachgrove Village. 

Breaking that curse on Mungdungus. 

The Death Eaters on the roof just before. 

Those codes. 

She knew about those _because she was in on it all!_"

Sirius shook his head. 

"No. Calypso can't be a Death Eater. She just can't." he said firmly.

"Why?" Snape challenged him.

"Sirius, you may be wrong." Dumbledore said softly. "You can't know a person you only met less than a week ago isn't a Death Eater."

"I trust her." Sirius replied, meeting Dumbledore's ice-blue gaze and holding it firmly.

"That's what I said about Peter Pettigrew." Dumbledore replied quietly.

Sirius was silent as it all sank in.

It fitted all so perfectly.

"Oh God…." Sirius said as he tried to comprehend the situation.

She'd fooled them all for so long.

There was a loud noise from outside, ruining Snape's moment of triumph.

"Magical Catastrophes squad is here." Bill reported. 

Dumbledore looked tiredly at the broomsticks landing. "Snape, where is Calypso now?"

"Safe." He replied. "Don't worry about her. Just deal with this at the moment and we'll see to her later."

Giving Sirius a look of triumph, he strolled out of the shop, humming.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Calypso was dreaming. 

Not a DREAM dream, just a dream. A plain old memory dream. Not a future dream.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

There was a bang, and the serenity of the house was shattered. 

Ben and Ian came thundering through the door, laughing and kicking off shoes into untidy piles. 

Melody looked up from the piano keys, frowning.

"Well well, the males of the house have returned." Calypso muttered from her position, reclining on the couch, engrossed in Virgil's Aenead. 

"Hey hey hey! Whazzup?" Ben dumped his bag onto the coffee collapsing onto the couch, and on top of Calypso's legs.

"OI!" she protested, scowling at Ben from over the top of her battered paperback, reached over and belted him across the top of the head soundly.

Melody sighed. "You know, this house is so peaceful until you two arrive."

Jared poked his orange-topped head out of the kitchen. "I second that." he agreed.

Ian grinned, and disappeared into the kitchen to rustle some food off Jared, who was cooking tea. There were soon yells from the room and Ian came out of the kitchen, bearing a large slab of chocolate as a trophy. "What time does Aria get home?" he asked, his mouth full.

"Ria? She's not. Staying the night at a friends." Calypso said absently, returning to her book.

"Guess," Ben asked excitedly, "what happened today." He grinned evilly at Ian, who grinned back.

Melody sighed again. "Lemme guess…you two apparated into the Ministry, went to your offices and spent your time goofing off when your bosses weren't looking. 

Ian, you drew a lots of cartoons on the office stationary, and Ben, you blew things up." Melody gave a brilliant smile. "How did I do?"

"On any other day, you would have been right." Ian said, leaning forward in his seat, brown eyes sparkling from under blonde hair. "But today…"

"You actually did work?" Calypso said in mock horror. "Dear Lord save us!"

Ben scowled, grabbed the nearest magazine and thwacked Calypso across the top of the head, at the same time snatching the book out of her hand.

Ignoring Calypso's threats of imminent doom, he snapped the book shut and threw it over his shoulder to go skidding into the hall.

Calypso looked ready to rumble, but Ben excitedly hushed everyone.

"LISTEN everyone! Really, listen to this!" he bellowed. "Jared, come here for a moment! I've got a great idea to run past you all. Just wait a sec, I'll get the others."

Ben bounced up from his seat on Calypso's legs and raced down the corridor, returning with three other people – Renee, Gary and Ashleigh. Renee was rather disgruntled at being disturbed from her lab. 

Ben looked around the room in anticipation.

Calypso, looking suspicious, sat next to him, while on the piano stool was Melody, identical to Calypso but with chocolate brown hair, ivory skin and large, sightless grey-flecked brown eyes.

Jared had short orange hair, and a passion for Quiddich jerseys. He sat on the corner of the table, proudly supporting the Canterbury Critters and kept a watchful hazel eye on the pots on the stove.

Renee, a stunning Chinese girl, blinked from deep, black eyes, and gave Ben an suspicious look. Renee had known Ben for a long time, and was wary of whenever he started planning something.

Gary, ever sensible, stoically nestled into an armchair and grabbed the remote for the TV. If any debates began, TV always settled them. Ben would drop any argument for Playstation, and Ian for comedy shows.

Ashleigh Hunter, Ben's younger sister, was impatient. "I'm in the middle of an letter. Make it short, can you?" She tossed her long, deep black hair behind her shoulders and rubbed her brown-toned skin where it was sunburnt.

"Well," Ben began, "when I walked into the office this morning, there was no-one there, as usual, and me and Ian though we'd just obtain a few more quills off his boss' desk…"

"As you do!" added Ian. "And as we were just walking over to Mr. Mortein's desk, what did I happen to see but a Weta crawling over the floor. I thought it was a cockroach, so I went to smush it into the floor with my shoe, when…."

Ian grinned and looked around at the expectant faces.

"When…?" Jared encouraged him.

"When I found myself standing on my boss."

"What?" Ashleigh said, confused.

Ben started talking slowly, savoring every word. "Mr. Mortein, Ian's oh-so-prestigious boss, Head of the Department of Illegal Magical Activity, is an unregistered Animagus."

"So," Ian began again, "Old Mortein had a bit of explaining to do. You should have seen him sweat! 'Now boys,'" Ian mimicked his quavering voice, "

'no need to tell no-one. 

Everyone's an unregistered Animagus, really.

We've all been too busy with fighting the Dark Wizards to bother about pithy little things like Animagi.

Really, it's easy, everyone does it!

No need to tell, boys.

I know of five people in this building alone that are unregistered.

Easier to move around, you know. 

Great advantage in the Ministry, yes."

"And then, we couldn't believe it," Ben cut in, " he reached into his desk and pulled out a book and gave it to us, and told us we might want to give it a go ourselves, and this would be our 'little secret, hey boys?' So, we were thinking…"

"How'd you all like to become Animagi?" Ben finished off, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and pulling out from behind his back a small, leather-bound, battered book bearing the title 'Moste Dangerous Works of Wizardrie.'

There was a pause.

"I'm in." Renee said slyly. 

"Me too." Jared added.

Gary gave it a few moment's though, and then nodded.

Ashleigh looked worried. "I'm too young. I'm only sixteen, I won't be good enough."

Ben shook his head. "You'll be fine. Renee can deal with the Potions side of the spell, Ian can do the charms, and Jared knows the runes pretty well."

Melody looked worried. "You sure it will be safe, Ben? I mean, they make Animagi register for a reason – it's really dangerous! C'mon, look at the title of that book!"

Ian flashed her a grin. "That's where Cal comes into it."

Calypso looked incredulously at them. "Me?"

"Future gaze, Cal. See what your little crystal shot-put has to say." Ben needled her.

Calypso mulled it over. "Okay." She said suddenly, surprising all of her flatmates. Calypso usually had to be bullied into seeing into the future.

Calypso got up and went to her room, which she shared with her two sisters. Digging her crystal ball out of her sock drawer, she returned to the lounge, which was abuzz with people discussing which animal they would want to be.

"Monkey." Said Jared.

"Elephant." Proclaimed Ben.

"Horse." Renee added.

"Albatross." Ashleigh mused.

"Dolphin."

"Cat."

"Squirrel."

"Eagle."

"Dog."

"Mouse."

"Zebra."

"Sparrow."

Calypso carefully set up her crystal ball on the coffee table and sat on the floor next to it. Leaning over so her elbows were propped up on the table, she relaxed and stared into the cloudy depths of her ball.

"Pukeko."

"Kangaroo."

"Seahorse."

"Pelican."

"Skunk."

Calypso felt the strange, familiar prickling of her skin as the cloudy insides of her crystal ball swirled into a vortex and vanished.

__

She saw the group of them sitting out on the back lawn beside the goldfish pond. One by one, they took a sip of a foul green brew from a small cauldron, screwed up their faces in concentration and with a muted pop, vanished. In their place sat animals. Calypso watched, fascinated, waited until all had successfully changed, and then turned her gaze away from her crystal ball.

"Ring-tailed Lemur."

"Wombat."

"Tasmanian Devil."

"Mole."

"Heffalump."

The suggested animals had become progressively stranger by the time Calypso shook her head to clear all the fuggy mist out of it.

"Well?" Melody asked her.

"Right. It's gonna work. You're all gonna transform." Calypso replied.

"Yessssssss!" Ian punched the air and Ashleigh gave an unsurpessible shriek of delight.

"And Mel and I and Malcolm and Wayne too." Calypso added.

There was silence.

"But…Wayne is on nightshift! And Malcolm isn't coming back for another week!" Ashleigh exclaimed.

"Then we wait for another week." Gary said sagely, and pressed a button on the remote. The TV blinked into life, quickly stalling any argument.

"Well, we need to wait anyway." Renee said, scanning the instruction for the Anamagi potion. "A week and a half at the very least. And I need to get some Saffron and Mermaid scales, too."

"Sweet!" Ben exclaimed, looking very pleased with himself. "So whenever Malcolm gets back and the potion is ready, we'll do it! Now, where's Crash Bandicoot III?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Maria sighed, and took another sip of coffee, watching the construction wizards rebuild her home. It had been two weeks and four days, and the interior decorators were almost ready to start. 

Snape had been right. The Insurance company had been quite generous, and Maria was quite pleased with the pad she was getting. No more op-shop couches for her!

Only if Snape wasn't right all the time.

Calypso was a Death Eater. 

When Snape had gone to get Calypso from his house, she wasn't there. She had never arrived. Somehow, she had sneaked off the Knight Bus and had vanished. 

Remus kept up the hope that one day she would just turn up and have a good explanation for everything, but two weeks had passed and they had seen neither hide nor hair of her.

Nor of Fleur.

They had to assume the worst – Calypso had returned to Voldemort, and Fleur was dead.

And since the moment when Calypso had disappeared, things had just gone crazy. All the Phoenixes were existing on Coffee and Revitalizing Potions Snape brewed constantly. 

Maria took another swig of her black coffee and drained the last of the mug. 

She was kicking herself for taking such a liking to Calypso. Hook, line and sinker, Maria thought to herself. Shit she was a good actor. Even the usually skeptical Remus was totally fooled.

Thank God for those extra Aurors from Australasia. Even with them, work was heavy and the Magical Community was in a state of panic and constant fear.

Fudge had bowed to pressure from the Ministry and had finally admitted that Voldemort had returned. The result of this proclamation was not as dramatic as he had expected – most people had worked it out for themselves, although Gringotts was overrun with wizards and witches frantically depositing all their worldly possessions into the Goblin's impenetrable vaults.

Fleur and Mundungus were dead so far, as well as one of the Australasian Aurors. Maria never had a chance to learn his name.

The 'imports' or 'Anzacs', as the Australasian Aurors were called, were a good bunch. Hard-working and friendly, tough as nails in a battle. Still, they weren't enough. Another fifty would go down well. Not that any more were coming. They couldn't even wrangle any help from other countries – they were all having trouble of their own. America especially. Their Death Eaters had infiltrated Neo-nazi groups, and High School shootings were spreading like wildfire. Apparently, all it took was a little suggestion, so small it hardly even amounted to coercion into the minds of a High School outcast and….shootings were so common now they hardly merited page five in the paper.

No-one but from Danny, Chief Hit Wizard, knew about Calypso apart from the people who had already met her. It was all hushed up by the Phoenixes. Neil told Maria that Angelina kept asking what she was doing, and Neil was running out of excuses. 

"Just say she's working on something secret and important, Neil." Maria advised. "Angelina's smart enough to know that means, 'Don't ask me any more.' She'll get the hint."

Maria looked at the dregs of her coffee, and it suddenly reminded her of those many painstaking hours she had spent at Hogwarts looking at the bottom of mugs, interpreting the tea leaves. 

She still couldn't really believe that Calypso was a Death Eater. The enemy. 

Sure, the evidence was against her. But there were still a lot of things that didn't add up. 

Perhaps they would never know.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neil running towards her, dodging workers fixing the Watchmaker's shop.

Panting, he drew close.

"What's up?" Maria said quickly, putting her mug down and standing up.

"Big problem at Harry Potter's house." Neil said breathlessly.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry sat in the corner of Remus' squishy purple sofa and watched daytime soap operas on Sirius' television, utterly bored. His leg still ached, and he had it propped up on the coffee table.

At least he was out of Privet Drive.

The summer holidays had defiantly not been fun. Dudley, despite the diet, had lost no weight, and his voice was breaking and had been for the last few months. This created the only source of amusement for Harry the whole summer long. Harry thanked his lucky stars that his voice had cracked quickly the holidays before. He had also grown nearly another foot since the year before, and could look his Uncle Vernon in the eye. 

Which Uncle Vernon did not like at all. 

It seemed to Harry that Uncle Vernon had become even more temperamental than last year, if that was possible. He flew into a rage at the drop of a hat, and had become more violent, smashing windows when he couldn't get his way.

Apparently, Grunnings was not doing so well.

Harry didn't think Vernon was homicidal. Not at all. But obviously he had been told that wizards were constantly guarding his house. Maybe that was what pushed him over the edge, Harry mused. Because that morning, Uncle Vernon had pulled out his 12-inch Shotgun, stood at his front door, and fired off random shots into the garden and street, hoping to hit a wizard wearing an invisibility cloak.

Eyes bloodshot and grinning crazily, Vernon had then walked back inside his house to his terrified family who were huddling against the wall, hunted down Harry, who was ringing the Police, and dragged him outside. 

Harry, now nearly as tall as Vernon, had put up a fight, but while Harry was all bones, Vernon had bulk behind his frame, and the strength of the possessed. In the fray, Harry had fallen down the staircase and broken one of his long leg bones.

By the time he threw Harry out onto the front path, armed police had ringed the house, and the barrels of multiple guns were pointed their way.

Vernon had told Harry to stand up, and Harry tried to, shaking with fear. He collapsed on the ground instead. Uncle Vernon was crazy.

"I'll blow his fucking brains out! I will, you hear!" he screamed hoarsely to the cops, foam flicking from the corner of his mouth.

"It's all his fault! Never should have taken the little freak in – look what he's brought us! And don't you weirdoes even THINK of trying to put a spell on me! I've got my finger on the trigger, and I won't hesitate, I won't!" Vernon's goldfish eyes were flicking back and forth, from one cop car to another, flashing red and blue lights drowning the bizarre scene.

Harry sat there, looking at the sky and not making a move, hardly even breathing. Even facing Lord Voldemort wasn't this terrifying. 

Voldemort had been sane – if you call Lord Voldemort sane. His uncle was stark raving mad, unpredictable. At least with Voldemort you knew what was coming.

Then, suddenly, Vernon swiveled around.

"There! In the primulas!" he hissed, training both barrels of the gun onto the flowerbed. He pulled the trigger, and destroyed Aunt Petunia's pride and joy.

"Gotcha!" he roared in triumph, and as heavily armored police tackled him, handcuffed him and dragged him to a waiting paddy wagon, he threw his head back and screamed with maniacal laughter.

Harry shuddered at the memory. Professor McGonagall, who had been forced to simply watch the whole drama from across the road at Old Mrs. Figg's house, raced over with her apprentice, Charmaine, and had scooped him up before any of the cops could protest.

School started again in two weeks. He couldn't stay at Privet Drive any more – HURRAY! – but that meant he was a liability to everyone he stayed with until he returned to the safety of Hogwarts. Lupin's house was cool, but he felt guilty at the problems he caused. Sirius was still walking around the house, putting extra charms on it, and Remus was doing something else from the air.

Harry loved the kitchen, though. Unlimited access to food…..that was something he only really dreamed about. Both Fridge and Pantry had been shocked at how skinny he was, and promised to 'fatten him up', sounding overly maternal.

Suddenly, there was a soft hoot from the window. A large snowy owl gracefully landed, and turned large tawny eyes onto Harry.

"Hedwig!" he exclaimed. "Allright!"

Hedwig flew silently over to Harry and landed on his outstretched fist. Harry fumbled with the knots holding the message to the owl's leg, but eventually he got the letter off.

__

Dear Harry,

Heard what happened from Dad. Can't believe your Uncle finally went loopy. Everyone's all worried about you (especially Ginny nudge nudge wink wink) Mum's nearly out of her tree.

Hermione is in America at the moment so I can't get in contact with her. She's got a cellphone though, but I can't work a telophone. Look see, I spelt telophone right! Haha! I'm learning.

You can't come here, sorry Harry. Both Mum and Dad said so. Nothing personal, it's just that we don't have enough protection on our house in case he-who-should-not-be-named comes visiting. But they said I can visit you.

Dad and Bill are working like you wouldn't believe.

Hear from you soon, Harry.

Ron.

Harry started scribbling back a reply.

*****************

Dumbledore was in deep conversation with Danny Campbell, head of the Hit Wizards, when there was a sudden knock at the door. Dumbledore sat up, breaking off his sentence.

"Come in." he said pleasantly.

The door to Dumbeldore's office at Hogwarts squeaked open and Remus walked in, followed by a tall curly-haired brunette with square, black spectacles, and red high heels that were clicking on the floor.

"Dumbledore, we've found…." Remus stopped when he saw Danny sitting across from Dumbledore. "Erm…Mr. Campbell…"

"Danny." He was corrected.

"Yes, um, Danny….would you mind turning a blind eye here?" Remus asked uncertainly, throwing meaningful glances to Dumbledore.

"Just this once, Danny." Dumbeldore added, and Danny nodded, curious.

"This," Remus said, gesturing towards the woman accompanying him, "is Lauretta Lukassen, from the Department of International Affairs."

"Lauretta, this is Danny Campbell, the Chief Hit Wizard." Remus introduced. 

Lauretta froze, sweating with fear, and clutched the black folder she was holding into her chest, trying to hide the large 'ALPHA 1' stamp from view. To no avail.

Danny gave a sudden start, an angry expression on his face.

"Oi! That's an Alpha 1 file! You shouldn't…" he started severely.

"A blind eye, thanks Danny?" Dumbledore asked good-naturedly, smiling at Danny, whose face slowly dawned with comprehension.

"Ms Lukkassen!" Dumbledore greeted Lauretta kindly. "The last time I saw you in here was, what, twenty years ago?"

"For cursing Mrs. Norris, yes." Lauretta said quickly, her words spilling out. "Look, I never had this file. You never saw me with it. You never saw it. Actually, as far as you know, it doesn't exist, okay? You get my drift?" She quickly scuttled over to Dumbeldore's desk and threw the folder down as if it was burning her skin. 

"There's only one last spell on it that I can't break, but I need it back by midnight tonight." Lauretta flicked her eyes to the corners of the rooms. "I'd get in so much trouble if anyone found out….."

"A brilliant job of hacking, Ms Lukkassen!" Danny interrupted, a broad smile on his face as he handled the folder. "We've never been able to lay our hands on Alpha 1 files. May I see you sometime later?"

Lauretta froze, terrified.

"We might have some business propositions for you." Danny continued.

Lauretta finally gave a small smile. "Sometime later, yes." She said, and, before she did anything she would regret, like snatching up the file and racing back to the ministry to put if safely back where it belonged, she wheeled around and left the office, heels clunking on the floor. 

Remus, Dumbledore and Danny all looked at the black folder. The words, 'ALPHA 1' seemed to glow fiercely at them all.

Danny looked uncertainly at Dumbledore. "Take it away, Dumbledore." He offered, sliding the folder across the desk.

Dumbledore's light blue eyes gazed at the folder, and slowly he reached out a wizened old arm to grasp it. Frowning slightly, he pulled out his wand and studied the black file. Suddenly he smiled, and tapped the folder twice with his wand.

"Revellus." He commanded, and suddenly, the folder sprang open, and sheets of blank parchment inside floated out into his outstretched hands.

"What's the file about?" Danny asked Remus as Dumbledore waited for the words to form on the blank parchment.

"It's Calypso's file." He said quickly in reply as words flowed down the pages in Dumbledore's hands.

Danny and Remus waited with baited breath as Dumbledore read through the bottom of his half-moon spectacles. His expression became graver and graver with each line he read.

Finally, about ten minutes later, he looked up.

"Oh dear." He said quietly.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Angelina swirled the vegetables in the wok, turning them over and accidentally flicking some out onto the bench.

"Oh dear, what a pity." She said thearatically, and ate them.

"Angelina, don't do that!" he father said tiredly from his armchair. "It's so unhygienic."

"A good chef always sips the stew, doesn't he dad?" she shot back.

Neil sighed, beaten. 

"So how was that Muggle course thing today?" he asked.

"Brilliant!" she replied energetically, large eyes glistening with passion. "I'm so sad it's over, actually, but school starts in two weeks. Finished my web page, though. It's really cool, even though I had to say I played basketball instead of Quidditch on my profile. But I could get pictures that moved!"

"Muggles are quite clever, really, aren't they?" Neil murmured in reply.

"I'm going to have to visit cyber-cafes to check my e-mail." Angelina said happily. "How's Calypso?"

Neil chest felt tight. He couldn't believe he had let his daughter spend a whole day with a Death Eater! What could have happened….

"Oh, I don't know. I don't see her, she's really busy." He said carefully.

Angelina snorted. 

"Busy? Not from what I saw!" she said ruefully and swirled the wok again, letting out a hiss and cloud of steam that nearly drowned out her reply.

Neil almost missed it. 

"What did you say?" he said slowly, lowering the Daily Prophet.

"I said," Angelina repeated louder, " She didn't look that busy to me."

Neil tentatively got up and walked over to the kitchen where Angelina was hard at work.

"Where," he said very carefully, "did you see Calypso?"

"Oh, on my way to Computer Class." Angelina said offhandedly.

"Angelina, look at me. Exactly where?" Neil said

Angelina looked up at her father, and saw the urgency in his eyes. Something was not right.

"Just…looking out of a window on Cumberland Street. Third story up. She was looking out, but she didn't see me. I was going to go in and see her, but then I remembered that she was supposed to be working, and I shouldn't disturb her, really, and besides, I was late to my class." Angelina looked curiously at her father. "Why?"

"Grab your broomstick." He said abruptly. "We're going." Neil started walking towards the balcony.

Angelina stood where she was, confused. "What?"

"Come on!" Neil said impatiently. "Forget about dinner! Just come on!"

Bemused, Angelina put the wok on the bench, and ran to her room to grab her Nimbus 747.

Joining her Dad on the balcony, she mounted her broom and leapt over the railings. As they were zooming off, she had time for one question. 

"Where are we going?" she yelled across to her dad.

"To see Dumbledore." He replied with a hard expression as they sped off over London.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"But……." Remus was lost for words.

"He's alive and kicking, alright." Dumbledore said.

The strangest thing was happening to Remus. First the greatest joy exploded through his body.

His brother was alive.

Cain was alive.

Over twenty years ago, he went missing. They had all presumed him dead.

Alive.

And then, cold liquid anger rushed throughout his veins.

Cain was a Death Eater. 

Of the highest order.

Co-leader of the Australasian Death Eater tribe.

Remus felt like he was going to be sick. The world swayed around the edges.

"Put your head between your knees, son." Danny suggested helpfully.

Remus did so and took deep breaths. Feeling much better, he sat up again.

"What," he said carefully, "Does my brother have to do with Calypso?"

Dumbledore gave Remus a strange look.

"A lot. He's her father.:"

*****************************

Snape looked around the hall as other Death Eaters Apparated out. Snape intensely longed to follow suit and leave, but that was not what he was here to do.

Smoothing down his ink black robes, he set out for the door off the side of the alter where Malfoy and the Australasian Death Eaters had left.

The great hall rang eerily as Snape stepped over to the other side. Finally he put his hand on the doorknob and went to turn it.

"Snape." A single word was enough to freeze him to the spot.

He turned around to face Lord Voldemort, eyeing him curiously.

"What are you up to, Snape?" he said easily, looking at Snape as a cat does to a mouse.

Snape drew breath. "I need to talk to Malfoy, my lord. In his library is a spellbook…"

Voldemort waved a bony arm to silence Snape. "That's not what I asked." He said lazily. Suddenly his red eyes popped open. 

"I said, what are you up to!" he hissed, and Snape took a step back.

Voldemort seemed to swell with rage. "Answer the question, Snape!" he screamed hoarsely, the veins on his thin neck standing out.

Terrified, Snape tried not to blink. "I need to see Malfoy, my liege. That Buildingblock Potion recipe is…." He said, his voice quavering.

Suddenly Voldemort was back to normal. He wheeled about and went to walk away, and Snape felt his heart resume beating. Then Voldemort turned his head back to face Snape.

"I'm watching you, Snape." He said merrily, and walked off.

Snape waited until he had left the hall before he started breathing again. Then he turned back to the door and opened it.

The hallway was long and dark, and Snape walked cautiously, listening for voices. Soon he heard them, from the left. He followed them until he rounded a corner and found the Australasian Death Eaters catching a Portkey, one by one, to wherever they were staying.

"…did you hear that guy McNair? Jeez, he sounded like one of the Proclaimers!" a voice rang out, and laughter broke out among the Death Eaters queued up to catch the Portkey.

Snape stopped. He recognised that voice. It was Calypso.

Someone had started singing.

"When I wake up….I'm gonna be tha maan whoo wakes up next to yooo….." Calypso started singing with a thick Scottish accent.

Everyone joined in for the chorus.

"Well I will walk five hundred miles, and I'll walk five hundred more….."

Snape wished the Australasians had heard McNair's comments on their accents being 'acidic enough to strip paint.'

Malfoy was standing by looking important, ordering people around as Snape took one, quick look around the Death Eaters.

There.

Calypso, with a broad grin on her face, reached out her hand to grab the wastepaper basket at the moment she turned around to spot Snape. There was a glimmer of recognition in her twinkling eyes before she vanished into a blur of blonde hair and black robes as the portkey sped off.

Snape kept his gaze traveling, also fleetingly noticing the two leaders of the Australasian Tribe. A man that strongly reminded him of someone, whom he couldn't quite place, but disliked from first setting his eyes on him. And also the woman, Octavia, of whom Calypso was the spitting image. 

Malfoy turned around, angry at being interrupted.

"What are you doing here, Snape?" he snapped.

"I need a certain book out of your library. 10,000 Unusual Potions?" Snape said slowly as he watched Octavia and Cain catch a Portkey away out from the corner of his eye.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "What do you need it for?" 

"Buildingblock Potion for Lord Voldemort." Snape replied.

"Fine." Malfoy replied. "Come by tomorrow."

At that, Snape turned around and quickly walked away from Malfoy. The man made him feel ill. Walking down the gloomy corridor, Snape felt both pleased and angry.

Pleased that he now had proof that Calypso was a Death Eater. Willingly, too. She wasn't, as Black had argued, under Impervious curse or anything. She was singing and dancing. Finally, he had got one up on Lupin and Black.

But angry. How could she have infiltrated the Phoenixes so easily? What secrets had she been privy to, and what had she told them? Had she told anyone that Snape was a Phoenix?

Snape's thoughts troubled him all the way back to 114 Hogsmeade Road.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"Oh I can't believe it." Danny murmured as he re-read a sheet of parchment from Calypso's folder. "How could have they possibly done this?"

Remus' mind was still boggling. "What are we going to do?" he asked Fawkes, who was sitting on his perch, looking very old and tired.

"We'll wait." Dumbledore replied. "Until Snape returns from that Death Eater rally. We'll see if what he's seen and heard matches with this. And then…"

"Yes?" Danny urged.

Dumbledore shrugged, and took off his glasses tiredly.

"Truly, I don't know."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Okay, by now you should all know what to do next.

I actually find your comments really interesting. Especially your guesses as to what is going to happen next. So go on, guess!


	12. The Gravedigger

Grey clouds smothered the sky and the light that filtered through into Calypso's bedroom was thin and depressing

Hiya one and all!

So, you have returned for another dose of my peculiar and weird literature that DOES have a plotline that is lost and wandering around somewhere in the text. It IS there, somewhere, I swear.

Sorry about the time this took to get up – I had relatives stay. Again. For two weeks straight. And the computer is in the spare room.

Y'all had a good Easter? Beauty weather over here, apart from Cyclone Sose coming through on Saturday.

Thanks again to Allylupin for beta-ing for me! I really should have done English this year at school, I'm so ashamed at what I write and how I spell words sometimes.

So, without any furthur ado, here's chapter 12.

Oh, and all those people who review? I LOVE YOU!!!! XXXXXXX

Disclaimer – JK Rowline created almost everything written below. The stuff she didn't create, I did. Don't sue me. I have only a few knuts in my bank account, and I have plans for that. ;-)

Ch 12 (holy crap, chapter 12 already?)

THE GRAVEDIGGER

.

"It could be good, it could be bad." Remus said, getting up from his chair at the kitchen table to pace around the room, thinking out loud.

"So, yes, Cain is alive. I can deal with that." He muttered, candlelight casting deep shadows over his face, hiding the pain that came, choking his chest. His big brother……..the enemy. What had gone wrong in his happy childhood? No, no, it was too late to dwell on the past…

"The fact that Calypso is my niece is a little harder to cope with." Remus almost smiled at that. A niece…

Sirius spoke up from where he was standing, leaning against Pantry. "Think. We have to work out what side Calypso is on. If she's still on ours, she'll be the perfect spy. Even better than Snape. If she's not…."

"We are in deep shit." Maria finished for him, shaking her head tiredly.

"So what do we know?" Sirius said, and walked out of the shadows over to the table, where a duplicate of Calypso's file was scattered. Court reports, newspaper clippings, Auror files and pieces of parchment two, three deep. Sirius toyed with a court summons idly. 

"Right, so Calypso is Remus' niece. She's the daughter of the two head Death Eaters, Octavia and Cain." Sirius winced at the last name. 

"Loyal to her parents, maybe?" Maria said. "Working for them all along perhaps?"

Remus frowned, his forehead creasing slightly as he paced around the room. "No, I don't think so." He said carefully. "She betrayed them to the Aurors when she was seven years old. I don't think she has any real love for them at all."

"But they don't know she betrayed them!" Sirius shot quickly.

"True." Maria said, nodding, making shadows dance on the walls.

"She might be playing both sides against the middle." Remus pondered.

"Or just be caught up in this whole mess without wanting to be a part of it." Maria suggested.

Sirius ground his teeth in frustration. "We could speculate for hours. What we need is real information from someone who knows her. All this…." He gestured to the table, "…is interesting but bloody useless if we want to know where her loyalties lie now."

Remus stopped pacing the room, and thought briefly. "She said she lived with wizards. Any way of following that up?

Maria's eyes lit up and she started scrabbling through the pieces of parchment. "I've seen a list of residences somewhere here…." Sheets flew off the table in clouds before Maria located the large piece of paper.

She scanned the list. "Last residence is Wop-wops Villa, in Canterbury. Easy enough to check out." Remus said, reading over her shoulder.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Harry lay in his bed, listening to the voices down the passage. He rolled over, unable to sleep, even though it was past midnight. His leg was paining him, and the conversation Remus, Maria and Sirius were having in the kitchen was troubling him. Who on earth were they talking about?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Oh, yeah right Evelyn! Not a snowball's chance in Hell!" Calypso bellowed down the corridor, a huge smile on her face as she fumbled with the key in her bedroom door.

"I'll see you eat your words, Calypso!" Evelyn, a poker-thin woman hollered back before stepping inside her own room and shutting the door. 

Calypso laughed broadly and, finally getting the stiff bolt to turn, unlocked her door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

Once inside her cell she dropped the charade like a hot potato. Quickly, she deadbolted the door and drew the chain across, putting the key on a hook up on the wall.

The smiling, happy face was gone. Calypso's face was expressionless, like a whiteboard suddenly swiped clean. Her shoulders drooped with sudden weight and she walked sluggishly to the center of her cell to sit on the edge of her bed and stare at the opposite wall.

Her room contained a single bed, hard up against the wall and window. A desk, complete with lamp and an uneven wooden chair flanked another wheat-brown wall, with an empty bookshelf and an equally empty closet. The walls were bare – apart from a silver crucifix that hung imposingly on the wall in front of the desk.

Calypso gave a sudden shudder. Her cell was chilly on the miserable summer's night, and she wondered how freezing it became in the depths of winter. Kicking her shoes off, she burrowed, fully clothed into her bed and snuggled down as much as she could on the hard, thin mattress, rough sheets, brown blankets and lay there with her eyes open, waiting for everyone to go to sleep.

What a pretty pickle she had got herself into.

Marion had been the one who had caught her on the Knight Bus. Stupefied her and then somehow Apparated both of them here, to where the Australasian Death Eaters were quartered. It was an old Convent on Cumberland Street. For Calypso, her cell really was a cell.

******************************

Angelina shivered and hunched her shoulders in the brutal wind howling across London.

"That one there. Fourth from the left, with the curtains not drawn. That's the one." She said hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked her, spectacles glinting in the moonlight. His long robes swirled angrily around his tall, thin body as he stood next to Angelina on the rooftops.

Rooftops again, Sirius though sourly, with a face to match. The wind was blowing a gale, and the night was surprisingly chilly for Summer. Freezing, in fact.

The moment Snape Apparated home, he had contacted Dumbledore, who was talking to Neil and Angelina in his office, fire roaring cheerfully away. They had put two and two together, and come to the obvious conclusion.

They had been sitting, hunched over on this dreary roof for over half an hour, and were chilled to the bone. It would be simple enough to work a few Warm-Fuzzy Charms to heat each other up, but Dumledore quickly vetoed that idea. Casting spells when Death Eaters were so close you could smell them?

It was true about smelling them. Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Snape, Neil and Angelina had all watched one woman spray herself with some sort of liquid before examining herself in front of the mirror and retreating to bed. The perfume was hideous, a mixture of musk and acid that made Remus, with his heightened senses, retch.

The Death Eaters obviously thought no-one could see them. They kept curtains open while getting changed (thankfully, the windows were small and there was not much to be seen) and one man even leant out his window and shook out his underwear.

Or maybe all Australians acted in a similarly uncouth manner.

Forty-two cells had lit up as residents had entered their bedrooms, and now, twenty-seven minutes later, only three lights were still on. Silence was impossible – the third floor in the building the Phoenixes were standing on was playing very angry rock music very loud.

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore repeated, Angelina not hearing first time due to the music rocketing from the floor below.

Angelina nodded, her teeth chattering.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Remus said, turning to Dumbledore expectantly.

Dumbledore stared into the night sky. "Well, we obviously can't take them on. Not with this number. Not on their own turf. But we know where they are."

He nodded, and turned, walking sadly away to grab his broom, which was propped up against a smoking chimney.

The others followed, glad to leave the gloomy, chilling rooftops

But a sudden movement caught Sirius' eye as he glumly went to leave. 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Calypso opened her door a crack and peered out into the deserted hallway.

No-one. 

Apart from the bass booming out of an apartment on the other side of the road, it was quiet.

Calypso took a deep breath, and opened the door more, begging it silently not to squeak.

It didn't, and Calypso slipped silently out the door to stand in the dingy hallway. Keeping her back to the wall, she slowly sidestepped the corridor, watching each door she came to carefully. Snores slipped from under the doors of a few rooms. Calypso didn't dare breathe as she passed one room with the light still on. Biting her lip, she edged past it onto the end of the passage, to the fire exit.

As with most fire exits, it was alarmed with a simple – almost primitive, Calypso though scornfully – circuit. The door contained a segment of the circuit. If the door was opened, the circuit was broken and the alarm tripped. Or something like that, Calypso thought. Anyway, all she needed to do was bypass the bit of the circuit that ran through the door. 

Calypso quietly and deftly ripped out the wires from the wall, and, with a small pocketknife, started scratching away at the old plastic insulation, an easy task made difficult by the need for silence and the huge coat she was wearing.

Damn the wards, Calypso thought angrily as she painstakingly worked away at the yellow plastic. The wards set upon the Convent would only permit magic performed by allocated wands. She couldn't even do her 'thoughtmagic' – the stuff without wands. It would be a few seconds work if I could just use magic, she thought bitterly. But a few minutes later, she was done. Calypso carefully brought out a piece of wire that she had ripped out of her beside lamp (which didn't work anyway) and wound the ends of the copper insides around the wire she had just exposed. Grabbing two pieces of tinfoil she had snuck off the dinnertable, she used the small squares to hold the wire firmly to the circuit.

Calypso took a step back, and pushed a sweaty strand of blonde hair off her face.

It looked right. It _should_ work, she told herself unconvincingly. Should being the operative word here. Biting the inside of her lip, she put her pocketknife away and without stopping to reconsider, she placed her hand on the doorknob, closed her eyes and pushed it open a fraction.

Nothing happened.

Calypso opened one eye hesitantly, and then the other, a huge grin spreading across her whole face. She could already hear the wind howling past the door, and it was an effort to hold it steady, not to let it blow open. Carefully, inch by inch, she opened it enough to let herself squeeze through into the cold winter's night, and, jamming a rag in the door, shut it behind her.

Monahan sat up, blinking, his quill leaving annoying little dots of ink on his otherwise spotless piece of parchment. A small chilly breeze ran across the back of his neck, but he ignored it, and bent back over his laborious work.

###############

"Oh, would you look at that." Neil breathed as they watched as the fire exit door edged open, and Calypso fugitively slipped out of the building onto the fire escape.

Calypso moved cat-like up the metal staircase, oblivious to the multiple eyes that tracked her every move.

"That's it." Sirius said suddenly. And before anyone could stop him, he Apparated off the rooftop.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Calypso finally emerged onto the roof, and her breath was taken away by the howling wind. She crawled along the tiles to reach the smoking chimney, and huddled miserably against the hot bricks, zipping up her thick jacket. 

Sighing morosely, she ran her fingers through her hair, long blonde tendrils whipping about her head in the wind, and pulled the thickly lined hood over her face. 

At the very, very least, Calypso thought, the music was good. She turned her eyes to the apartment across the road, and smiled appreciatively. Loud and angry. Just the sort of music she felt like at the moment. Still, she felt sorry for the poor neighbors. It was the early hours of the music, and the party across the street showed no signs of slowing down. Drunken couples stumbled around, laughing and bellowing, or just making out. The sight of so many people her age having fun sent Calypso into immediate depression. 

She dug her hand into her pocket, and pulled out a packet of cigarettes and a hot pink lighter. Fishing out a smoke, she put it in her lips and with numb hands, tried to light it, with no success.

"Light it inside your jacket." A helpful voice piped up from further along the roof.

Startled, Calypso dropped the lighter, and it clattered down the tiles to land in the gutter. Quickly, her hand dove into her sock, and she pulled out a small, sharp razor blade. 

Eyes open with fright, she sat still, melting into the chimney as best she could. Her eyes darted all around the deserted, windswept rooftop, finding nobody. Her bottom lip quivered, and she quickly bit it to hold it still.

She sat there for what seemed like eternity, not daring to move, her heart thudding away like a jackhammer, threatening to tear it's way out of her ribcage. 

Finally, she could stand it no more.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice, she was annoyed to hear, shaking, terrified.

There was a pause. 

"Guess who."

The words sent electric currents of fear reverberating through Calypso.

Shit. Shit shit shit _shit_. She though.

"I despise guessing games." She said back, struggling to keep her voice controlled. The last thing she wanted was it to come out in a squeak.

The voice ignored her comment. "Well, I'm incredibly gorgeous, talented, witty, smart, lusty, have a body to die for, and, oh, did I forget, incredibly vain?"

"Oh please." Calypso retorted. "How can I be in two places at once?"

There was another pause, filled by the screaming music from the party over the road.

"Who are you, asshole?" Calypso tried again, this time with more confidence. As she spoke, she started moving, keeping low to the ground, over to where she had heard the voice. Every noise made her jump, and she nearly gave herself an aneurysm when one of the drunken louts across the street discovered what fun it was to chuck empty beer bottles from the third story onto the street.

"Can't you tell?" the voice said blandly.

Calypso wheeled back around to face the phantom voice.

"No." she said angrily, the fury and fear building up inside her skull.

"Now tell me _who the fuck you are_!!!" the last words came out in a hoarse scream born of desperation and terror.

There was an incredibly still silence. Even the music over the road was between songs.

Then…Calypso saw something shimmer as an Invisibility Cloak was pulled off.

Sirius Black.

"Hello Calypso." He said pleasantly, his face expressionless.

Calypso was numb with amazement.

Finally her brain whirred into gear. 

"Don't you take another step or you'll fry like barbequed Unicorn." She hissed.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"Yes, of course I'm looking. Problem is, we don't get much time off. We are battling an ancient evil force threatening to take over the world here, remember?" Ben said into the telephone receiver.

He rolled his eyes as he listened to the answer.

"Look, I'm doing what I can, okay? Starting tomorrow, me an' Kev have got a week off. I'm going to hunt around Diagon Alley, see if there's any gossip, and if not, I'll have to go to the Ministry." 

"Not to bad, considering we are incredibly understaffed, outclassed and outnumbered." There was a pause.

"Nah, nah. Look," Ben said quickly, aware of the man impatiently clearing his throat in the queue for the telephone, "I've gotta go. Now, you said Calypso said to you that she was staying with a wizard by the name of Wemus? Definitely Wemus? Or d'ya rekon it'll be spelt Wemis? First name or last name? These Englishmen have weird-as names, you know." Ben scowled into the phone at the answer, which was inconclusive.

"Say hi to all the others. Yeah yeah. And all that lovey-dovey stuff too." Another pause, then

"See ya later Ian. Try not to get eaten by a Dragon, won't you?"

Ben dropped the receiver back into it's cradle, and, wrapping his coat tighter around his body, stepped out of the red telephone box and into the cold night air. With a perfunctory nod to the man waiting, Ben scurried across the street back onto the warm, welcoming Leaky Cauldron.

Inside, it was noisy and the old barman was doing a roaring trade. Ben squeezed his way past wizards, who ignored him, and witches, who gave him sly looks. One old hag even pinched his bum. Startled, he scurried on further out of her grasp, all too aware they were laughing at him.

Ben was relieved to reach the other side of the pub and slipped back into his seat around the table in the very corner. He dragged his heavy coat off and looked around the others seated at the circular table with an infectious smile.

"Right. Who's dealing?" he asked, clearing away a few dirty glasses to make a small space in front of him.

"Charmaine is." Will replied, handing her the deck. "So, how is it at home?"

"Oh, fine. Ian got hexed again by some American Tourist trying to get a scale off one of the Opaleye Dragons."

"Again?" Dmitri repeated, pushing his glass away and cracking his knuckles as Charmaine deftly dealt cards around the empty mugs, tankards and cocktail glasses. Dmitri, Ben had learnt, was a mean card player. 

"Oh, yeah, it happens all the time." Ben replied, picking up his hand. Bugger.

"Tourists think a lovely souvenir would be a shimmerey Opaleye scale to show all their friends back home and hang over their mantelpiece. Only thing is, they have to pluck it off the dragon. Ian spends most of his time dragging Tourists away from the Dragons before they are dinner. They're not very appreciative, though. And talking about not being appreciative, who dealt this bloody awful hand?"

"I did. Any problem with it?" Charmaine asked maliciously.

"Nope. None at all." Dmitri said, with a satisfied glint in his eyes.

"No, it's just fine Charmaine." Phillip added with an equally satisfied expression.

Ben sighed. "Either you guys are conspiring against me, or…"

"…you're just a terrible card player." Charmaine finished for him.

Ben thought for a few seconds. "Yes, perhaps that. Phillip, your start."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

While Ben was getting soundly thrashed at Poker by the other Apprentices, Sirius was freezing, standing on the roofs of windswept Cumberland Street, trying to imagine what barbequed Unicorn would taste like.

"Is that a threat?" he asked carefully, wishing he could see Calypso's face under that hood.

"No." she replied. "It's a warning."

Sirius didn't move.

"I mean it, Sirius. Take a bloody step back." Calypso said with a dead voice.

Sirius had opened his mouth to ask why, when Calypso turned to look at the riotous party across the road.

Everyone had joined in the fun of hurling beer bottles out onto the street, and glass was raining down on the street three floors below. As Sirius watched, one rather muscle-bound lad ran up, full beer bottle in hand, and hurled it across the street. It looked like it was going to clear the Convent, when suddenly, there was a horrible noise, like water on electricity, and the bottle disappeared in mid-flight.

From the point where the bottle had previously been, green lightning bolts ran out in a sheet, encircling the Convent, dying finally right in front of Sirius' nose.

He took a hasty step back, sweating.

"Gonna follow my advice now?" Calypso snarled.

'What the hell was that?" Sirius asked, flabbergasted.

Calypso didn't reply, but walked down to the gutter and fished out her hot pink lighter, and returned to sit down about two meters from Sirius.

"A Spellshield." Calypso mumbled, her cigarette between her lips again. She bent over, hood touching her knees, and Sirius could tell from the grinding of the lighter, she was lighting her cigarette.

"That's a damn powerful Spellshield." Sirius said into the howling wind, racking his brains for something to say.

"Mmm-hmmm." Calypso replied, staring off into space and taking a long, hard drag on her fag.

There was a long pause, in which Sirius felt very awkward.

"I didn't know you smoked." He said dumbly.

Calypso didn't look at him. "I didn't. Not until I came here. Only people with serious personality problems, or under lots of stress and danger take up smoking."

"So…which one are you?" Sirius asked.

"All of the above." She replied.

__

Not the best start, Sirius old boy, he told himself

"So, er, what are you doing up her at this time of the morning?" he asked with a jaunty smile.

Calypso breathed out a lungfull of smoke, and turned to face Sirius with a half-smile on her face. Well, it looked like a half-smile. With that heavy hood Sirius couldn't quite tell.

"I could ask the same thing about you." She said in a low, but amused voice.

She took another drag, and to Sirius' surprise, started to talk.

"I can't sleep. Inside this Spellshield," she made a wild gesture with her cigarette, "they've got wards up. No magic can be done apart from with some wands specially designated. All the other Death Eater's wands." She took another puff from her cigarette, and Sirius sat down warily.

"I can't sleep 'coz every time I drop off, my dreams are filled with static. It's all my prophecy dreams being scrambled by the wards. I get headaches all the time when I should be having visions. I feel like shit." The words started rushing out, angry and suppressed.

"And do you know what the worst thing is? I can't even talk to that parasite in my head anymore. I mean, I hated her so much, even told her I'd get an exorcism, and now when I finally get rid of her, I'd do anything to hear her bitching at me. Isn't that sad?"

Sirius didn't reply. But it didn't matter, Calypso was still ranting on.

"So, anyway, that is why I'm up here. And there are smoke alarms down in our rooms, so I have to come out here to have a smoke.

Beside, I seem to have this curious affinity with rooftops. At home, I have a deck chair on the roof. On clear nights, I drag my telescope up there and just sit and watch the sunset, and they look at all the stars come out to play. Tranquil."

She turned to face Sirius. "So, enough about me, how about you? What are you doing here?"

"Scouting out the place." Sirius replied.

Calypso shrugged. "How'dya find it?"

"Angelina saw you on the way to her computer classes." Sirius said carefully.

Calypso snorted with disgust. "They were lazy with the Spellshield. Muggles can't see in, but other wizards can. They said there was no reason that any wizard would be walking down Cumberland Street and suspect anything." She took another drag of her cigarette, it's lit end glowing red ominously.

"So, anyone else with you?" she asked, seemingly bored.

"Yeah. Over on the roof there, is Dumbledore, Neil, Angelina, Remus and Snape."

Calypso stared over where he pointed. Dressed in dark robes, they were hard to distinguish from the night sky, but she soon spotted Dumbledore's white beard and Snape's pallid skin. She stared at them.

"What's up?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know whether to wave, or to pull the fingers, actually." Calypso said with a trace of mirth.

*****************************************

An argument was braking out where Calypso was looking.

"We should split. Now. Before they're onto us." Snape hissed.

"No, wait." Remus argued back. "Sirius is talking to her. We need the information."

Snape turned on him, eyes blazing. "Have you not listened to a word I have said? She is a Death Eater. Do you want that spelt out, Lupin? D-E-A-T---"

"Leave if you want to, Snape." Dumbledore snapped. "It would probably be a good idea. If you were spotted, it is more serious than if we were."

With a last, angry look at Remus, Snape stalked off to grab his broom.

Angelina looked desperately around the huddled group.

"Dad? What's going on? Is Calypso a Death Eater…" she asked hesitantly.

Neil looked at the opposite rooftop.

"I guess that's what we are going to find out." He replied stonily.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"Calypso, I need to know something." Sirius said urgently.

"Fire away." Calypso said with a heavy voice.

"What side are you on?"

Sirius listened intently for the answer, but could only hear the howling wind and the music from the party.

"D'ya feel like rephrasing that question?" Calypso eventually replied.

Sirius was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, how about asking me what side I'd _like_ to be on." Calypso still stared into the sky.

Sirius thought about this remark for a while. "Okay, which side would you like to be on, Calypso?"

"Neither."

"Uhhh…what do you mean by that?"  
  
Calypso turned to glare at him. "What I mean is, I want out of this whole situation. I want to walk out of the front door of the Convent, and walk away. Far away. Jamaica, maybe. Or some little deserted island somewhere where they have never heard of Lord Voldemort. So I can just live my life normally. Don't you get it? I don't want to be on any side." She spat with venom.

Sirius was momentarily shocked. "But…" he started.

Calypso took another drag of her cigarette. "You thought I was a spy, huh? Infiltrating the Phoenixes and then coming back home to Mummy and Daddy? Well, let me tell you how wrong you are, shall I?

I hate every person in the building. Every single one. Including my – no, especially my frikking parents. The only, only reason I am stuck here is because they all think I'm loyal to them."

"Then how did you get here if you don't want to be a Death Eater?" Sirius snapped back.

"On the bus. There was one other person on the upper deck. Marion. She just Stupefied me, and took me here. So when I woke up, I had to invent this huge pack of lies to cover myself." Calypso turned to gaze into Sirius' eyes bleakly.

Sirius looked back into the shadows that concealed her face, and saw sad eyes glinting in the miserable moonlight. 

"You're not the same girl I led down to Remus' house this summer." He said suddenly, surprising even himself.

Calypso looked at him sorrowfully. "No I'm not." She agreed, and turned away.

They both listened to the yelling from over the road, where Noise Control had turned up.

"They are going to kill me. I don't know when." Calypso said clearly.

"Why?"

"They don't believe my story. Well, my parents do, but they'll soon take off their rose-tinted glasses. The others, though…they all hate me. Suspect me." Calypso hugged her knees. "They'll see the holes in my story soon. And there's enough of them! But that isn't the biggest problem." Calypso looked back at Sirius, and suddenly grinned.

"You're gonna love this. That day we were in Diagon Alley, me and Angelina? I emptied the Death Eater's bank account and put it all into Gringotts under my name."

Sirius looked at Calypso carefully. "How much money was in there? And where did it come from?"

"Political assassinations. Illegal gun shipping. Drug running is also very profitable. Ransom. And lots of other things. How much?" Calypso snorted. "Enough to bankroll a Terrorist Organization. Anyway, when they finally go to withdraw some money, the pretty little bank teller behind the counter is going to say, 'Oh sorry sir/madam, but your account was closed on whatever day by a lady by the name of Calypso Ann Grey.' Does anyone else here see a problem?"

"Oh Calypso. You are in big shit." Sirius said dumbly. "Why did you close the account in the first place?"

Calypso ground the butt of her cigarette out on the roof tiles. "Because, you idiot, I didn't ever think I would end up in this situation! I didn't ever expect…" Calypso was cut off by Sirius.

"Then why don't you just walk out the front door and join us then?" he asked simply.

Startled, Calypso looked up at him, her mouth hanging open.

"D'ya want to know why?" she said eventually.

Sirius nodded.

" I can't walk out the door. I think that's a very good reason. I'll end up as barbequed Unicorn, same as if you tried to walk in here. Anyway, why would you want me back?" Calypso snapped defensively as she dug around in her pockets, pulled out another cigarette and begun to work the lighter.

"I've read the Ministry report on your life, Calypso." He said.

Calypso dropped the lighter again.

"Shit!"

Sirius didn't know if she was swearing at him or the lighter, which had bounced into the gutter again.

Sirius watched as she rescued the lighter from the rubbish-filled gutter.

"So, I bet you found that interesting reading." Calypso said sarcastically as she resumed her seat next to Sirius and tried to light her cigarette yet again in the fierce westerly.

"Yeah, I especially liked the bit where even though you'd been brought up by Death Eaters, you turned them all in when you were seven. I like stories where good prevails." Sirius replied calmly.

"Well, I though the most interesting bit was where I killed four people." Calypso replied with a snarl. Sirius flinched.

"But actually, they got it wrong." Calypso added, knocking more ash of her smoke. "I murdered seven."

Sirius didn't know what to say.

"That's one for every year I lived. Isn't that a coincidence?" Calypso added.

For a while, they both just sat there on the cold tiles, shivering and watching the thin grey smoke from Calypso's cigarette wind in spirals up into the air, then be scattered instantly by the wind.

Finally, Sirius spoke into the night air.

"Calypso, you did those things when you were seven. Seven! Dumbledore said a long time ago to you that your past didn't count, it was what you do in the present that matters, or something along those lines. Remember?" Sirius urged her. "In St. Mungo's?"

Calypso suddenly froze, and took her cigarette from her mouth.

"What're you saying, Sirius?" She asked carefully, turning to face him.

Sirius blinked. "Well, according to me, you're still a Phoenix. We can bust you out of here." Sirius said rashly.

For a fleeting second, Sirius though he saw a glimmer of hope and delight in Calypso's shadowed eyes. "Don't you think you should be talking with the others before promising crazy things like that, Sirius? For some little reason, I don't think Snape and McGonagall will support you in this one. They hate my guts." She said energetically.

Sirius flipped a hand absently. "I'll win them over." He promised.

Calypso giggled. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"With my infallible charm and sex appeal, of course!" Sirius replied, and Calypso snorted at him.

"Sirius Black, the boy who never managed to grow up." she said, and suddenly her eyes grew wide and she stared at Sirius with a look of fascination. 

"What?" Sirius asked, unnerved.

Calypso snapped out of it. "Oh…nothing." She said vaguely, but Sirius knew it wasn't nothing.

"So do you want to?" Sirius asked, reverting back to the topic at hand.

Calypso looked confused. "Want to…?"

"Join us. Again." Sirius said coaxingly. "C'mon!"

Calypso did some fast thinking.

"Tell you what…I've already hooked up a plan to get out of here. Look, I don't want any of you Phoenixes to get hurt. If that one doesn't work, I'll get you to help." Calypso said brightly.

"So, what's you plan?" Sirius asked curiously.

Calypso just smiled secretly, and then to Sirius' surprise, rolled over to crawl right up to the Spellshield.

"Sirius…" she said eagerly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you seriously mean it? Me rejoining the Phoenixes?" she asked.

"I'll do my best. Can't promise any more than that." he said fairly, and watched moonlight glint off the lipgloss on Calypso's huge smile.

"Call it a deal." She said vehemently, and Sirius grinned back.

As he smiled at Calypso, Sirius suddenly caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Calypso! DUCK!" he yelled instinctively.

She didn't hesitate, and threw her body to the side as a voice called, "_Avada Kevadra_" and a bolt of green light streaked through the air, smashing into the Spellshield right between Sirius' eyes.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Azkaban was quiet. 

It usually was what one could describe as being 'deathly still', but this day it was even worse.

Not a single moan or scream broke the oppressive evil air. A chilly wind swept through across the moat, through the drawbridge and into the courtyard, where Cornelius Fudge was standing, the hairs on his back standing up.

It was past two in the morning, and still he had heard no answer from the Dementors.

He wrung his hands, and then wiped the cold sweat into his green pinstriped cloak nervously. His whole career depended on this.

The Dementors on Devil's Island had deferred to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and Fudge shuddered at even the thought that the same thing might happen in Azkaban.

Spicier, the only Human Warden at Azkaban, shuddered as well.

They were alone in the courtyard, but surrounding them past those thick walls, were the most dangerous contemporary Wizards Fudge could ever meet. He turned to Spicier.

"What's the chances, old boy?" he said jokingly. "Care to wager a few sickles on it?" trying unsuccessfully to make their deathly situation into a joke.

Spicier turned to look Fudge up and down.

__

Idiot, he thought. "M-mmmph." He said in that exasperating Scot manner.

Conversation died.

Further away, a tiny, scribbled note was being passed around from cell to cell inside Azkaban. Even the inmates so crazed by their torments they could not read it's loopy scrawl would be told in hushed voices by other Death Eaters later that day.

###########################

He could have sworn his heart had stopped beating. The Killing Curse lingered on the Spellshield, burning bright green into Sirius' retinas. _So this is what James and Lily saw last,_ he thought crazily.

A shriek brought him back to the present.

A tall, lean man had appeared from behind a chimney and without warning, had cast the spell straight at Calypso's back. She had rolled away in the nick of time, but the next hex he cast, the Cruacis Curse, had grazed the side of her left arm.

Calypso was still rolling down the side of the roof, clutching her arm when the man lowered his wand and stepped over her, his black robes billowing ominously in the wind and playing with his wand idly in his fingers.

"My, my, my, Calypso. You sure have fallen into that rather large hole you dug yourself." He drawled, sounding sadistically amused.

"And right now, I'm going to fill it in."

He raised his wand and pointed it straight at Calypso, and without any sign of remorse, uttered the incantation. "_Avada Ked-"_

He was cut off chokingly as Calypso lifted a foot and booted him right between the legs.

Monahan gave a scream rather identical to Calypso's as he doubled over in pain, and Calypso scrambled madly to her feet, still clutching her cursed arm, which was twitching madly.

Monahan looked up through tears of pain to see Calypso furiously kick his kneecap in. He fell over at the same time Calypso did, his wand spinning wildly out of his hand and skittering on the tiles to land in the clogged up guttering.

Sirius got his senses back together, and stood up desperately. He had never felt so helpless in his whole life.

"Calypso, GET UP!" he yelled furiously.

Calypso thought her arm was going to rip itself away from her torso. The pain was so intense, it was delectable almost. Exquisite. Pain rising like a milky white mist started to cloud her eyesight, but she saw vaguely Monahan stand up, fury twisting his face. He reached out a hand to grab her…

__

He's going to kill me. Right here, right now, she though suddenly, and she started to panic.

A large hand grabbed the front of her jacket and she dazedly was dragged to her feet.

"You little bitch." He snarled, and slapped her across the face.

It was his mistake. The stinging backhand cleared the mist from her veins and replaced it with cold, calculated anger. _I don't want to die today,_ she thought clearly.

Calypso jumped up off the ground and planted both feet firmly in Monahan's stomach and pushed back as hard as she could.

His face looked firstly confused, then shocked, and then pained as she knocked the wind out of his lungs, he stumbled back and the domes on her jacket gave way and she ripped her way free, leaving him with a handful of black coat. As he struggled to regain his balance on the sloped roof, she dug into her sock and pulled out the razor blade she kept for situations such as this.

From her crouching position, she leapt at him.   
Monahan was expecting this, however, and grabbed her wrists as she slashed at his throat, pulling her aim high. The razor sliced deeply across his cheek and nose instead, and squeezing her wrists bone-crunchingly hard, Calypso gave a squeak and dropped the razor from her nerveless fingers.

Calypso struggled like a wildcat, but was no match for Monahan when she was only able to use one arm. Monahan grabbed her with both hands around the throat, and started, slowly but surely, strangling her.

Choking, Calypso grabbed his brawny wrists desperately and gazed into his cold black eyes.

"You tratiorus little whore." He hissed, with a warped smile on his thin face. "I'm going to enjoy this." He closed his hands tighter, and Calypso lashed out with her feet, her eyes rolling back in her head. Blackness was creeping, pouring into the edges of her vision.

And with a sudden moment of clarity, Calypso realized that her cursed arm was still clutching, in it's painful spasms, a burning cigarette. She grabbed it with her good arm, and thrust the lit end hard into the fleshy underside of Monahan's wrist.

With a bellow, he dropped her, the cigarette still attached to his melted, burning skin. She landed in a heap, taking huge, panting breaths from her damaged throat, her eyes watering. 

"GET UP CALYPSO!" a voice screamed at her.

Willing her muscles to work, she dragged herself to her feet and eyed Monahan coldly. He had just managed to rip the cigarette off his wrist, and was turning around to face Calypso when her hand shot out and smashed into the bridge of his nose.

He yelled, and blood poured out of his broken nose.

Calypso felt strange. Abnormal. Distant. She slammed her fist into Monahan's chin, then followed by an uppercut, elbowed him in the stomach, and then swiped his feet out from under him in a series of quick, clinical moves. 

He landed with a solid thump onto the roof, blood streaming out of his nose and the cuts of his face.

Calypso stood where she was, blinking. 

"Get up you bastard." She murmured in a low, mocking voice. She waited while he scrambled to his feet and rushed at her.

It was so easy. She just kicked his leg out from under him, and aimed his head onto the chimney as he fell.

He hit the sharp edge of the bricks with a sickening crunch, and slumped to the ground.

Calypso just stood there, looking unfocusedly at her handiwork, the wind grabbing long blonde strands of hair and whirling them around furiously.

Madly, she watched the pool of shiny black blood pool around Monahan's steel grey hair, and then run like a waterfall down the tiles, down, down, down, till it reached the gutter and gargled away. 

She wasn't sure how long she had stood there before Sirius' yelling finally reached her.

__

"Calypso……."

It seemed so far away.

Calypso!"

CALYPSO!"

The last one thundered through her eardrums and she snapped around, the world spinning madly.

Sirius stood on the other side of the Spellshield, a look of horror on his dark face, his unkempt hair tossed about.

"Oh my god." Calypso stuttered, and she suddenly collapsed where she had been standing, nearly screaming with the pain from her cursed arm.

"Calypso, who was that?" Sirius asked desperately.

"Monahan." She murmured. "The Dementor-Spawn."

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked desperately, not knowing what to say or do.

"From the movies. Jackie Chan; Under Siege 1 the Matrix; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon…that one was so cool, especially when the girl goes to steal the sword and she jumps up and does a backwards flip through the-"

"Calypso, are you listening to me?" Sirius demanded.

"Mmmm-hmmmm?" Calypso's mind was still dreamily recovering from lack of oxygen, and all she could think about was the pain radiating from her left arm and her crushed throat.

"What the hell are you going to do now?"

Calypso opened her mouth to reply, but was saved by the fire escape door opening and someone's foot clanging on the fire escape.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ben tottered up the stairs of the Leaky Cauldron to his (new) room in the South Wing. He seriously intended to go the whole way to his room, but his legs gave out at the top of the stairs, and he decided drunkenly that it was a lovely view from where he was sitting, thank you very much.

He leant his head against the stair rails and looked out over the pub floor. 

The band, a foot-stamping Celtic group with enchanted fiddles that played extra loud and showered sparks when played, were still rousing tipsy patrons, who were singing along broadly, the way you do with a few good ales under your belt.

Ben vaguely remembered jumping up onto a table with a middle-aged witch (who, when seen through ale-tinted goggles, was a real looker) and dancing energetically until he fell off onto the floor. By the next day he would have forgotten, but the other Apprentices would endlessly tease him for months about it.

He shook his head – bad idea. The world swirled around sickeningly. He closed his eyelids tight and tried to regain his grip on the present. The band stopped playing for a quick pick-me-up, and Ben could hear conversations from the floor below.

"…so I told him, right there, that I was leaving him, and I just grabbed my wand and walked out the door." One middle-aged witch told her friends tearfully.

"He was a bastard, Vera." One consoled her.

"You did the right thing, love." Another added in honeyed tones.

Boring, Ben thought, and concentrated on another set of voices.

"Those bloody laborers are the slackest bunch of Squibs I have ever come across. A month and a half, and they still haven't got the roof back on. I ask you…" a wizard growled.

"Yeah, still, they have lots of work to do on Diagon Alley. Yours is not the only place needing repairs, Bob." Someone argued.

Even worse, Ben thought.

"…such a slut." A young, female voice said with venom.

Oooh, now here's something interesting, Ben thought, pricking up his ears.

"Call that a skirt? Any shorter and it'll be a belt!" another witch added.

"And if she charms those eyelashes any longer, they'll fall out. Remember Verity Williams in sixth year? Her lashes fell out when she was chasing after Bill Weasley because she overdid it on the beauty charms."

There were murmurs and nods of agreement.

"So who's this hussy chasing after?" one witch snarled.

"That young German in the corner table, but he's left. So now she's looking for free drinks." Ben nearly laughed out loud. After Phillip? Oh, he'd give him hell tomorrow.

"Or maybe she's looking for a free ride home."

"Her place or his?" another added vindictively.

God females were bitches, Ben though. He was sick of this conversation already. They weren't discussing her name or telephone number so he could pass it on to Phillip, and he let his ears slide along to another conversation.

"There is no way the Arrows will beat the Harpies, sorry mate. They simply don't have the technique this year, what with Andrew O'Leary retired and all. The Harpies…"

"Have a weak defense, and have had for the last two years. Craig McMurty will crush them flat." Another person argued. 

"…tried for ages, and Theresa is getting quite angry at me. I mean, I wasn't that great at DADA at Hogwarts. I got a C, but only just, and I've forgotten how to get rid of Grindylows. They're ripping up the Missus' vege patch, and she's bitching and moaning at how she can't let the kids play in the backyard because it's so dangerous, and how it's all my fault…"

"Call in Zappemout. The Exterminators, then." Another voice suggested helpfully.

"Nah. Can't afford it, and, besides, the missus will get all angry. I've got to prove to her that I'm a real wizard and do it myself."

"Well, learn how to get rid of them then. Pull out your old DADA schoolbook."

"Threw it away yonks ago." Was the negative reply.

"Well then…why don't you owl Remus?"

Booooring, Ben thought again. He was just starting to listen into a promising conversation on who was offering the best odds on the Harpies-Arrows game when his mind did a double-take.

Remus. Wemis?

Ben listened back to the man with the Grindylow problem.

"You remember him, Pat. Sat at the back of the class? Gryffindor? Top of the class?"

"Ohhhhh." There was the sound of an ale tankard clunking down on the bar. "Luke…isn't Remus Lupin a…a…"

"Werewolf?" the other suggested helpfully. "Yes he is. And a nicer, more helpful, generous wereperson I have yet to meet."

Pat took a long slurp of his ale. "Well, it seems like a good idea. He always helped me with my classwork, but, uh…I don't know." He finished lamely.

"You don't have to see him in person. Owl him, and ask for pointers." The other told him. "He can't bite you through a letter." He added, striking the nail on it's head.

"Oh now here Luke." The tankard banged down on the bar again. "I didn't mean anything like that! I'm as modern-thinking and open-minded about Werewolves as any Ministry Official –"

"Doesn't sound like it to me." Luke said quietly.

Pat sighed. "Alright. Yes. You're right. I am biased. But look at it from my perspective, Luke." He said pleadingly. "I've got four kids. All under the age of six. If, and I said _if_ I happen to get bitten, just maybe, what's going to happen to my kids? You tell me, Luke!"

Luke didn't respond. Instead, Ben heard a quill scratching on a piece of parchment.

"Here." Luke said. "This is Dumbledore's Summer house address. Owl him to get Remus' address – his house is hidden."

There was a pause.

"Thanks Luke. I owe you one." Pat said gruffly.

"Forget it. I just want to be able to down a few good ones with you without you bitching and moaning about Theresa." Luke said good-naturedly.

Pat gave a small chuckle.

"But, Pat," Luke warned him, "Don't forget that Remus Lupin is still that same boy that helped you with your DADA homework. He was already a Werewolf when he tutored you for Charms and let you copy his references for your Transfiguration project. Don't forget that."

The band struck up again, and Ben could hear no more. He dragged himself to his feet, his head whirling, and worked his way down to his room, where he collapsed into his bed, the mirror scolding him with a whip-lash like tongue.

Ben groaned. He fumbled with his robes, and eventually pulled out his wand from his inside pocket and pointed it at the disgruntled mirror.

"Quietus." He gurgled, and the mirror shut up immediately.

Smiling, he curled up on his bed, fully clothed, and fell asleep, with one thing going over and over in his mind. 

Dumbledore.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Calypso stood on the roof in mute horror as the figure walked straight up the fire escape and onto the roof. Her mind was jammed.

Sirius, however, had instantly grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak from the ground where he had dumped it and thrown it over himself.

Calypso blinked. What was going on to her? Her brain felt all sticky, all gummed up. She just stood there, freezing cold in the wind, which had developed into gale force, sweeping gusts as a tousled head appeared, one step at a time.

It spoke.

"Hey Cal. What 'cha doing up here? I'm freezing my balls off!" Kerian said jauntily, hugging his jacket, something bulging underneath.

Calypso would have fainted with relief, if she was the fainting sort. She wasn't, so instead she just stood there, slack-jawed, and felt her legs go from underneath her.

Kerian gave her a startled look as she collapsed heavily onto the roof.

"Cal?" Something was not right. He took a few quick steps forward, and then he could see a body lying behind the chimney. He stared it disbelievingly.

"What the hell…?" he began, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Calypso opened and shut her mouth, looking like a goldfish. "I…I…I…" she said limply.

"Is he dead?" Kerian shot, crouching down beside Monahan's sprawling body, poking his lanky body with the end of his wand.

"No." Calypso answered. 

Sirius sat up with a start.

"I just knocked him out. He was trying to kill me, Kerian! Kill me!" her voice was rising higher and higher.

Kerian spun around to stare hard at Calypso's shivering form.

"Did he get you?" he demanded.

Calypso nodded, and held out her arm, which was still contorted with painful spasms.

Kerian go up and walked over to Calypso, sitting down next to her. He grabbed her shaking arm.

"What was it?" he asked gently.

"Crucio." She whispered back, staring at him through teary eyes.

Kerian's face was expressionless, but his eyes were angry. He pulled out his arm, and pointed his wand at Calypso.

Sirius looked away.

"Finite Incantium."

Sirius slowly looked back. He hadn't killed Calypso?

What he saw astounded him.

Kerian had reached out an arm and dragged Calypso into a huge bear-hug.

He finally let her go, and conjured a tissue out of mid air, giving it to Calypso to wipe her eyes with.

"What happened?" he asked intently.

Calypso blew her nose. " I was talking to someone." She replied weakly.

"Who?"

"One of the Phoenixes."

"Which one?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Is he still here?"

Calypso looked over to where Sirius was sitting.

"I don't think so." She said uncertainly.

"How much did Monahan overhear?"

"Dunno. Enough to see it fit to kill me on the spot."

Kerian swore. "Dammit, Cal! Two more days, and the potion is ready! Couldn't you have just waited till you were our of here before you started doing dangerous stuff like that? You promised me, remember?"

Calypso blinked. "Yeah, that's right." She said loudly for Sirius' benefit. "Two more days and me and Fleur are outa this shithole."

Kerian looked at her oddly. "You okay?" he asked with brotherly concern. "Here…"

He raised his wand, and carefully and slowly healed the grazes on her forearms, the long, shallow rip across her cheeks where one of Monahan's rings had caught her as she was backhanded, and finally the cuts caused by the fingernails on her tortured hand. As he finished, he gave her another hug.

"Don't worry, bub. Big Brother Kerian will take care of all this." He promised.

"Oh come on Kerian. You're not my brother." She said intently, eyes flicking over to where she last saw Sirius.

"No." he agreed. "But I do a pretty damn good act at the big brother routine, don't I? Any boyfriends I can scare off?" he said lightly, trying to coax Calypso to stand up.

"Stop fooling around, Kerian. What the hell are we gonna do?" she said desperately.

Kerian scowled. "We? What are we gonna do? You, my dear, are going to scamper back to your room, and dismantle whatever you did to the fire door as you go. Jump into bed, turn the lights out, fall asleep and forget this ever happened."

Calypso scowled back. "What are you going to do, then?" 

"Modify his memory. Heal him up and dump him in his bed and turn the lights out. Where's his wand?" Kerian replied, scanning the bare rooftops.

Calypso walked over and fished it out of the gutter, handing it to Kerian.

"Right. Now, get inside and into bed. Leave me to deal with this, okay?" he growled. He suddenly blinked. "Oh, that reminds me. Why I was up here in the first place." He reached a hand into his jacket and dug around the large lump, trying to get it out. 

"I was trying to find you, actually. Knew you'd be up here, having a melancholy fag on the sly."

"Bullseye." Calypso muttered.

"Anyway, I know how depressed you've been, living here, so I got you something from Diagon Alley today." He finished, and brought out a round, cream-colored ball of fur from his jacket, and tossed to over to Calypso.

Calypso caught it, startled. "Kerian…what is it?" she asked, holding it up to the moonlight. It was soft, and warm, slightly squishy, and…

"Kerian!" Calypso said with a look of horror on her face. "It's _purring!!!_" She dropped it like a hot potato, and it bounced down the roof, to land with a splodge in the murky gutter.

Kerian grinned at her. "You were right, it was purring. It's a Puffskien. Though you might like it." He plucked the small magical pet out of the drain and tossed it back to Calypso. "They make really cool pets."

Calypso still looked at the Puffskien with suspicion. "What does it do?"

"Apart from purr and be warm and fuzzy and loveably? Kerian shrugged. "Not much, actually. Apart from pick your bogies when you're sleeping."

Calypso narrowed her eyes at Kerian. "You are joking, of course."

Kerian just winked, and shooed her towards the staircase.

Calypso trotted towards the fire escape, and then slowed to a stop, turning around. 

"Kerian…" she asked hesitantly.

"What?" he replied, rolling Monahan's inert form over.

"Why are you doing this?"

Kerian stopped and looked at her, the wind blowing his robes around him eerily.

"B'cause you are the closest thing I have to family, Cal. And I want to see you out of here and safe and happy as soon as possible. That answer enough?"

Calypso looked back over to Sirius. 

"Yeahp, I think that answers all my questions." 

She turned and hurried off.

Sirius watched silently as Kerian, muttering, healed Monahan's broken nose, cut head and face, mopped up gallons of blood and eventually magicked up a stretcher, dragging the unconscious Death Eater back down the fire escape.

Sirius shook his head. What an interesting encounter this had turned out to be.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Notice there's no cliffhanger this time? ;-)

Right, now. 

All I ask is one thing. Please review!

Tell me what you did or didn't like. Or what you want to see more of. Request something – if it works into the plot, I'll do it.

So just write a few words, okay? Or drop me a line. Brighten up my day!

Oh, also, I've dropped heaps and heaps of innuendoes and oblique hints and stuff through the last few chapters. I wonder if anyone picked up on them. Some of you already have……….. ;-)

My parents are bitching and moaning to me about how I spend too much time on the computer, and they are talking about taking it away. So write me a review and let me know I'm appriciated. Or detested, whatever.

Luff, 

Sorceress. J 


	13. Up Shit Creek without a paddle

Kevin knocked hard on Ben's door

'Tis the mark of a good writer to have next to no author's notes, I believe. 

I am obviously not a good writer. ;-) 

I write for fun. And reviews. My fic is not aesthetically pleasing, or grammatically correct. The plotholes are so huge you could park a Boeing 737 in them. Don't even get me started on the timeline or the continuum.

Apparently it's in human nature to want to talk about themselves. So, here, another update in my life:

*NEWS FLASH!   
SORCERESS DROPS OUT OF SCHOOL!

Yes, folks, I've done the unthinkable. Dropped out of school. I'm often asked, 'why?' My usual flippant answer is – 'because I can.' (I'm telling you, that shuts people up) Actually, the real reason is not as silly as that. I hated school. Really did. I can get into the pre-Med school course at Uni on my last year's marks, so there's no real reason for me to be there. So I upped and left. (Yes, I'm dropping out of school and planning to be a Doctor.) At the mo I'm working, studying and writing. 

It's very funny, half of my year are convinced I'm pregnant, and the other half reckon I'm hooked on drugs. I started the pregnant rumor myself, ;-) but where the drug rumor came from…?!?

My excuse for this chapter being late is that the modem was taken off the computer because my little sister kept talking to her friends on MSN Messenger and not doing her homework. It was not my fault, I swear!

And also, Allylupin had exams. Which I'm sure everyone will understand.

And so without further ado, ladies and gentlemen….roll film. (SNAP!) (WHIRRRR!)

##########################################

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Kevin knocked hard on Ben's door.

"Get up, you layabout!" he called through the keyhole.

Inside, sun was streaming through the open window and annoying Ben.

With a moan, he rolled over.

What had happened last night? He wondered, and then dragged the pillow over his face as he remembered.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kerian knocked hard on Calypso's door.

"Get up, you Sloth!" he called through the keyhole.

Inside, sun was streaming through the open window and annoying Calypso.

With a moan, she rolled over.

What had happened last night? She wondered, and then dragged the pillow over her face as she remembered.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Remus knocked hard on Sirius' door.

"Get up, you Flobberworm!" he called through the keyhole.

Inside, sun was streaming through the open window and annoying Sirius.

With a moan, he rolled over.

What had happened last night? He wondered, and then dragged the pillow over his face as he remembered.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Calypso blinked. 

  
Woah, déjà vu, she though to herself.

********************************************

Fudge was still in the courtyard of Azkaban, freezing. Spicier had dragged out a few sparse blankets, and they had wrapped them around their shoulders to try and warm themselves up – magic was impossible with the wards on Azkaban still up.

He had dozed off during the wee hours of the morning, and was rudely awoken from his fitful slumber in the midst of the terrifying nightmare. He woke up with a gasp and Dementors floated out from the bowls of the prison to stand, row by row, in front of his and Spicier's huddled forms.

Fudge shook his head, trying to clear away the shredded remains of his nightmare. It was horrible – the election….

"Fudge!" Spicier hissed by his side, and Fudge snapped his head up, spotting a single Dementor break off from the ranks and float towards him. He was so cold, so cold…

"You have reached a decision?" Fudge called out with all the energy he could muster.

There was a deathly still.

"No." was the flat, whispery reply.

Fudge just stared at the Dementor's hooded form in disbelief. "But you've been discussing it for eleven hours!"

"We will make a decision in the future." The Dementor whispered, and turned it back on Fudge to float back to the rest of its kind, who were all moving back into the prison.

Fudge, through his trance, could hear the moans and screams increase with every Dementor that disappeared into the stone walls. He turned to Spicier.

"What do I do?" he asked the burly Scotsman desperately.

Spicier looked at Fudge with distaste.   
"Nothing. You get up, go back to the Ministry and tell them what you just heard." He snapped, and then walked off, leaving a dumbstricken Fudge, wrapped up in patched old blankets like a silkworm, to find his own way out of the prison.

############################################

Ben walked down Diagon Alley nervously. The tall, mahogany brick building around the corner from Gringotts was his destination. Working his way through the window-shopping crowds, he didn't even spare a glance at the Broomstick shop, for once. His mind was elsewhere. Eventually reaching the building, he pushed the swinging glass door open and walked in.

The receptionist was furiously typing as Ben walked uncertainly in.

"Yes?" she inquired pleasantly, looking up.

"Erm…I need to see Albus Dumbledore please." Ben murmured, handing over a piece of paper.

"Third floor." the receptionist replied, scanning the parchment. "Stairs are to the right.

Ben thanked her and started climbing the stairs the had suddenly appeared.

First floor were Accountants, Second floor was home to a pack of Lawyers – Ben shuddered – and the Third Floor was unmarked. A simple, wooden door. Ben pushed it open and walked inside to the Aurors HQ.

It was a large, long room, littered haphazardly with desks, books, maps, charts, diagrams and quills. People buzzed around, deftly working. A telephone – what? A telephone? – was ringing shrilly, and a wiry woman answered it. As Ben watched, a red-headed man Ben had been introduced to but couldn't remember the name of was closely scrutinizing a small silver ball. He picked up his wand thoughtfully and rapped the orb with it. There was a small cracking noise, and the red-headed man snatched his hand away as if the ball had burnt it. The orb rolled off his desk, bounced with a clang on the floor, and trundled along to hit Ben's shoe.

Ben bent over and picked it up. The metal was hot to touch, and he dumped it on the man's desk with a curious look on his face. 

"Thanks. Bloody passworded Portkeys." The redheaded man said, and then squinted at Ben. "Hey, aren't you one of those Aussies? Erm….Ben…." he begun, searching for his last name.

"Ben Hunter. Yeah, I was wondering if Dumbledore was in at the moment. I need to have a word with him." Ben replied confidently, gazing around the room. 

The man frowned. "He should be here somewhere….oh look, there he is now."

Indeed, Dumbledore, draped in emerald robes, had just emerged from an adjoining room, talking animatedly to a group that followed him out.

Ben gulped. "Thanks, mate." He said to the man, who grinned back, and continued concentrating on his orb. Ben turned and worked his way around the cluttered desks over to where Dumbledore was conversing with other people.

Gingerly, he stood aside, waiting for Dumbledore to finish.

"…and get Snape to contact me immediately when he gets back. I need to know what's going on with –" Dumbledore broke off suddenly, spotting Ben lurking beside Moody's desk.

"Mr. Hunter!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "And what can I do for you today?"

Ben started nervously. "Well, um…" He was all too aware that the group of people Dumbledore was talking to were eyeing him up interestedly. "I've heard you know where Remus Lupin is."

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "And you heard right. What do you want of Remus?"

"Just need to ask him something." Ben replied evasively. "Where can I get in contact with him?"

Dumbledore pulled his beard thoughtfully and looked directly at Ben. Ben felt his insides turn to custard. 

"I suppose I can do that. Turn around." He suddenly ordered. Ben hesitated for a second, but did so, wondering what the hell was going on. 

"Turn around again." Dumbledore commanded, and Ben did so, to stare straight at a pale, brown-haired man who looked at Ben curiously.

"Well, here you go." Dumbledore said jovially. "Mr. Hunter, this is Remus Lupin."

Ben gave a little jump of surprise, and Remus Lupin snorted, shaking his head at Dumbledore.

"I was standing next to him. Dumbledore may be good, but he's not that good." Remus said quietly as an explanation for his quick appearance. "Now, you wanted to ask me something?"

Ben was a little shaken, and scratched his head thoughtfully. "Umm…..it's a long story…." He begun, and hesitated.

"Cut it short then." 

A dark-headed man standing next to Remus offered. Ben stared at him. Oh dear lord, it was _Sirius Black._ Who was innocent, Ben quickly checked himself. But still, it isn't every day you talk to a convicted mass murderer. Or the most famous contemporary Wizard in the world. Or a werewolf, for that matter.

"Oh. Right then." Ben said, rallying his senses. He wasn't really comfortable discussing what he wanted to in front of all these people, but he realized they weren't going to go away. "Mr. Lupin, do you happen to know someone by the name of Calypso?" he asked nonchalantly.

Ben was astounded at their reaction. Every person listening did a double-take. Before Ben realized what was going on, a strong hand was placed on his back and he was propelled into the room Dumbledore and the others had just walked out of.

******************************************

Calypso finished plaiting one pigtail, twisted the hairtie around the end firmly, threw the finished blonde plait over her shoulder and stared at her reflection in the mirror. 

Blue-grey eyes stared back at her. Slowly, she smiled, and rubbed the freckles on her nose. There were less, she had noticed, since she had come to England. Back in Australia, she had thousands over her arms, but they were fading. But still, not fast enough. Calypso hated her freckles, and ever since she was little had tried to get rid of them, to no avail. She thought they made her look younger than she was already, and that people didn't take her seriously with cute little freckles scattered over her cheeks and nose. 

But today they would finally come in handy. Cute and innocent and utterly irresistible. At least, that was the plan. Calypso winked at her reflection, and grabbing some cherry-flavored lip gloss, dashed out the door of her room, slamming it behind her.

"Oi! Slow down!" someone called as she belted down the corridor, skidding around the corners, and screaming to a halt a few paces from the Dining Room door, her heart beating furiously, cheeks rosy and blonde plaits going haywire. She pushed a door open and walked inside.

The old dining room was dominated by one huge oak table that ran from one end of the room to the other. Morning light drifted down through the skylight to illuminate a scene that would freeze the blood of most people, Wizard or Muggle.

Sitting around the dining room table were – Terrorists, Death Eaters, chowing down their breakfast.

Calypso trotted up to the servery. Grabbing a bowl, she ignored the fried eggs, bacon and baked beans, and piled up a serving of cornflakes and fruit. Balancing it on a tray with a cup of orange juice, she worked her way over to an empty seat between Kerian and Evelyn. 

"Call that a breakfast?" Kerian said despairingly as she sat down. "Now, _this_ is a breakfast." 

Calypso looked disapprovingly at Kerian's mountain of spaghetti on toast. "I eat _healthily!_" she replied, and dug a spoon into her food.

"Aw, c'mon, eat up Calypso!" Evelyn said between chomps of bacon. "You're too thin anyhow."

Calypso had to grudgingly admit she was right. There was something about living immersed in Dark Magic and tainted personalities that turned Calypso right off food. Today her stomach was turning and tumbling sickly. Bacon and eggs would not sit right in her guts.

"Yeah, but I'll be laughing when I'm old and healthy and you're in hospital with cholesterol-laden arteries." Calypso shot back.

Evelyn, a grey-headed lady with too many wrinkles, snorted. "Live every day like it's your last, Cal dear, because in the Dark Lord's service, it just may be."

Calypso caught Kerian's eye for a moment, grimaced at the gloomy advice, and then turned her attention to her bowl of cereal, scoffing it down. As soon as she had taken the last mouthful, she leapt up and dumped her dirty dishes in the racks, and bounded off to where her mother and father sat at the end of the table, talking animatedly with other Death Eaters.

"…should be a piece of cake. The house is in the middle of nowhere, there's no neighbors to call for help."

"Those filthy Mudbloods won't know what hit them!"

"Still, I'd like to know why Wormtail's Death Eaters can't take care of the Petchell family themselves. After all, we're not here just to do odd-jobs for those idiots, we have a serious long-term mission that is much more important than just killing mere Mudbloods!"

Calypso dropped down in the gap between her parent's chairs. Cain, her father, broke off his conversation to look at her. He was a handsome man, with puppydog brown eyes and coffee colored hair, but the years in Devil's Island had taken their toll. His hair was streaked with grey, balding at the front, and as he turned to Calypso, she noticed more creases and folds on his skin that mere age couldn't explain away.

"So, how's my little girl today?" he asked, smiling. Usually, Calypso would complain loudly at being referred to as a little girl, but today she was all sunshine.

"Peachy, Dad." She replied hurriedly. "Look, I have a favor to ask of you." 

Cain rolled his eyes. "What is it now?"

Calypso gave him her toothiest smile. "Well, I know that the potions lab is Snape's in the morning and mine in the afternoon, but I've reeeeally got to go in and just add a little more bat's wing to that Soundless Potion or it's all going to be ruined!" 

Cain frowned deeply. "Oh no Calypso, I don't know about that. I don't want you mixing with people like Snape…"

"Oh come on Dad!" Calypso exclaimed theatrically. "I won't be a few minutes. I'll be in and out like a flash! Besides," she added, "Snape doesn't scare me."

Cain looked thoughtfully at his breakfast bowl, and Calypso held her breath. "What do you think, Octavia?" he asked his wife eventually.

Calypso's mother took her spoon out of her mouth. "I don't see any harm in it as long as she's quick." Octavia said slowly. 

Calypso bit the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling too much. "Thanks Mum, thanks Dad." She chirped, and scuttled out of the dining hall, letting the huge doors bang behind her.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Oi!" Ben exclaimed, and twisted around to stare angrily at Sirius, who had shoved him. The others filed into the room, a small office, and the last person, a red-head that had to be related to the other red-head Ben had just talked to, shut the door firmly behind him.

Sirius stared back with raised eyebrows.

Ben looked around, and felt uneasy. The Phoenixes flanked the walls, barring the door, all wearing a grim expression. Dumbledore most of all. Ben suddenly realized why Dumbledore had the reputation he did.

Dumbledore looked at Ben for a moment, and cocked his head curiously. "Tell me, Mr. Hunter," he begun in a soft voice, "how do you know Calypso?"

Ben was aware that his mouth was dry. This is stupid, he thought. Get a hold of yourself, boy!

"Call me Ben, please." Ben said smoothly. "The only times I've ever been called 'Mr. Hunter' is when I've stood in the Principal's office in big trouble."

"Then I might have to continue calling you Mr. Hunter." Dumbledore replied dryly without a hint of a smile.

Oh crap, Ben thought, biting his lip. "Look, d'ya mind if I sit down?" he asked shyly. "It's a long story."

Dumbledore nodded briefly, and Ben turned around, relieved to get out of those harsh stares, grabbed the chair from behind the desk and plonked himself down. The Phoenixes didn't move. Ben took a deep breath and begun.

"How do I know Cal? Quite well. I first met her ages ago, at my Grandmother's funeral. She'd been great friends with my old Kuia, and, actually had been the person to find her dead. Anyway, she was standing on one side of the grave, bawling her eyes out, and I was standing on the other side."

Ben paused to look around at his audience. Dumbledore, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black he knew, and slowly he could put names to the others. Neil someone-or-the-other was off to the left next to the window, and Maria Figg was perched expectantly on the edge of a small table. Professor McGonagall was standing to the right of the door, and whosermeflung … Diggory! was standing beside her, hands thrust into the pockets of his robes. 

Picking up his thread, Ben continued. 

"I next met her when I went flatting with one of my old Dorm mates from school. Ian. He's a few years older than me, but he works in the Ministry too. He'd met Cal and her sisters a while back, and they'd ended up flatting with him in this huge old Villa on the family estate. Cal was doing studies at Uni., and working the farm in the term breaks. Then she finished Uni., and decided to do her big OE."

Ben looked around at the unchanged faces. "You know, an Overseas Experience. Go to Britain and work as a Temp or a barman or something like that for a few years. Backpack a bit. Heaps of fun." Ben grinned at the others, and got no response. Chastened, he returned to the story.

"Anyway, Cal flew to America, and then she simply disappeared at LA airport ages ago. Had Interpol and everything after her. They all said she was probably murdered, and in the end we thought so as well. Until a few months back we got this crazy phone call from someone who said they were Cal. Alive and well in England. She only managed to say that she was saying with a Wizard called Wemis when she got cut off. Never heard back from her. Well, we scrambled to find anyone called Wemis in England. We'd heard it wrong over the international phone lines. And since there was no-one called Wemis in the whole of England, we just brushed it off as a bad hoax."  
  
"So?" Remus asked suspiciously, staring Ben down with an unwavering glare.

"So, Mel, Cal's sister was always hounding us to keep looking. And then I ended up coming over here to help you guys, and I've been ordered to hunt this elusive Wemis person down. And last night I overhead a conversation where the name Remus popped up and I put two and two together and realized that Wemis was probably Remus." Ben shrugged his shoulders. "And here I am."

There was silence.

The Phoenixes, one by one, turned around and exchanged knowing looks which were unfathomable to Ben, who silently sweated in his seat.

"And you obviously know something about Cal." Ben said hopefully into the oppressive quiet.

There was more silent communication among the Phoenixes, and Ben squirmed slightly. Suddenly, Dumbledore turned to Ben.

"Can you prove it? He said sharply. 

Ben blinked. "Yeah." He reached into the pocket of his robes, and before he could blink, eight wands were pointing at him.

Ben froze.

"Shit." He said disbelievingly, staring wide-eyed at the menacing wandtips, his hand still in his pocket.

"Slowly, Mr. Hunter." Sirius warned him, and inch by inch, Ben pulled out a wallet.

"It's a wallet. Not a wand." He said slowly, opening it up, his eyes still transfixed on the wandtips.

As he opened up his wallet, suddenly photos poured out onto the floor. "Oh crap!" Ben exclaimed, and bent over to pick them up, but was brought up short by sparks from the ends of a few wands. 

"We'll get those, if you don't mind, Mr. Hunter." Remus said quietly. With a flick of his wand, the piles of photos flew into his hands.

Remus started leafing through the photos. There were hundreds – anything could fit into a magical wallet, and it seemed that Ben had stored a few photo albums worth of photos in his. 

Suddenly he stopped, frowning.

Sirius bent over to see what Remus was looking at. Clutched in his hand was a photograph – moving, as Wizarding ones do. Sitting astride a leggy chestnut horse was Calypso, laughing at the camera, blonde hair in two plaits over her shoulders. A classic outback leather hat on her head, denim jeans and a dusty black singlet covering a body littered with freckles. As Sirius watched, she winked conspiratly at the camera, and waved. But that was not what Remus was looking at. 

"Mr. Hunter," Sirius said slowly, "who is the person on the grey horse next to Calypso?"

Remus turned the photo around to show Ben.

"Mel. Melody, her triplet. Can't you tell?" Ben replied.

Melody was a carbon-copy of Calypso, only with brown hair and brown eyes. Unlike Calypso, who blew kisses at the camera, Melody just gazed into the horizon with a smile.

"Look, what am I supposed to be proving here?" Ben asked anxiously

Remus kept leafing through the pile of photos, stopping at another.

It was a simple shot of someone's backyard during a barbeque. Sitting at a picnic table was Calypso, talking to a graceful Asian girl and a carrot-haired guy. Tending the barbeque was Ben, turning sausages over, while a girl on a swing kept sailing into and out of the shot. Remus guessed correctly that it was Calypso's other triplet, Aria. The similarity was amazing.

Ben looked dazzled. "Look, Dumbledore, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what the hell is going on? Where's Calypso?" he asked to the old man, who was studying photos avidly.

Dumbledore turned back to face Ben, and gave a long, tired sigh. 

"It's a long story, Ben." 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

There was a slight knock at the door, and Monahan scowled. With a wave of his arm, the door slowly creaked open. 

"What the hell do you want?" he growled without looking at who was standing in the doorway.

Calypso hesitated. "Erm…It's me. Calypso."

"Whattya want?" Monahan barked, still pouring over his piles of parchment.

Calypso bit her lip. "I need to get a Portkey to the Lab."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You bloody well know why not. You can't go to the Lab in the mornings. Now clear off and leave me alone."

"Dad said I could."

"Like hell he did."

"Did too."

"Do I look like I came down the river on a water biscuit?"

"Actually…"

"The answer is no."

"Dad said…"

"Get the hell out of here."

"But, honestly, Dad said…"

"Fine!" Monahan finally yelled, slamming his quill down on the table. "Fine! I'll get you the Portkey, and I'll be waiting for Cain to wallop you when you get back!"

Calypso relaxed a little as she watched Monahan storm out of the room, and bring back a small metal orb in a red velvet box.

"Take it and get out of here." He snarled, and as Calypso reached over to touch the orb, she looked fearfully up to Monahan's face.

The last thing she saw before the world blurred into a multicolored streak of light was hard, suspicious, black eyes.

How much did he remember? She wondered, and shuddered at the thought.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A liquid boiled angrily in a cauldron, violent red in colour, acrid in smell. The bricks of the fireplace were already stained permanently black from the fumes, and the walls of the near-new lab were slowly darkening from white to a dirty cream. 

On cold marble benches sat a multitude of strange and bizarre looking equipment, looking like a cross between Dr. Jekyl's Lab and a medieval kitchen.

In one of the six fireplaces, a fire roared away, but did nothing to ward off the incredible cold and the oppressive atmosphere of the long room.

Snape stood over his red cauldron and with a pair of tongs and carefully added the mashed newt's tongues to the mixture. He stood back expectantly and eyed the cauldron cautiously.

Nothing happened.

Snape stood there, feeling anger and frustration rise from his feet to the top of his head.

The potion should have spat sparks and shrunk to only a few milliliters of orange-brown solution. Instead, two months work of brewing was a flop.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to scream out loud at the cauldron or curse it to smithereens. But, of course, cursing it was impossible in the lab – magical wards were up, so no spells cast could inadvertently disrupt the potions being brewed.

"I'm surprised it got that far, actually." A voice said suddenly from behind him.   
Snape jumped with shock, and his foot accidentally knocked the cauldron, which quickly flipped over and the red potion gushed over the marble floor and Snape's shoes.

With a yell, he leapt up onto the workbench, sending equipment flying as the potion ate angrily into the marble floor and his shoes. He quickly grabbed a bucket of Vanquishing Solution and threw it over his shoes, just in time to save his feet.

Huge clouds of light blue gas filled the room, and Snape choked. 

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he snarled at whoever had disturbed him. It was like he was standing in a baby blue tinted fog, though – he couldn't see the end of his nose.

"At the moment? Opening the windows and vents." A choking voice called out from the other end of the room. There was a scraping noise, and a few clicks as the windows were opened.

Snape was suddenly glad of the thick fog. There was no way he wanted to be seen sitting up on the workbench, surrounded by a sea of acidic potion, with no shoes, and hole filled socks with Mr. Happy printed all over them.

He curled himself into a more dignified position. "Who is it?" he hissed. "Look at the mess you have made! If it wasn't for…"

"Mess you made, don't you mean?" the voice rang back, trying to stifle a laugh. "Anyway, It's Calypso. Sorry to disturb you."

Snape froze. "What are you doing here? You know the lab is mine in the mornings from ten till three, and yours from three till eight."

"I have some things to finish and pick up." She said curtly, and through the thinning smoke, Snape could spot her, standing over some distillation equipment at the far end of the room. Gingerly, Snape stood up and traipsed carefully around the items on the workbench till he reached a dry piece of ground and jumped down, thinking quickly.

"So, what's your secret plan for getting out of here?" he sneered as he walked over to where she was standing, her back to him.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, would it?" she replied absently, carefully turning the tap of the separating funnel, and watched azure blue, sparkling potion stream into a small phial. Just at the right moment, she turned the tap off, leaving the black mixture in the funnel and the blue in the phial. She corked the phial, and dropped it into her pocket, totally ignoring Snape's curious expression. Taking another phial, she dribbled the remaining black potion into the phial, corked it, and also placed it in her pocket.

"So, you going to rejoin us again, are you?" he said sarcastically as she walked off to a cauldron hanging over a small fireplace.

"Dunno." She replied. "Maybe yes, maybe no."

She grabbed a silver ladle from a drawer and fished out of the gloopy grey mixture a large spoonful, dropping it onto a beaker. Still tailed by Snape, she pressed a lid onto the beaker and also dropped that into her pocket, which was bulging with glassware.

"That's not what you told Black, though." He challenged her.

"Nope." Calypso replied calmly, and glided along the workbench to reach yet another cauldron. "Situations change, Snape."

Trotting along to the other end of the room, Snape still following, she ladled out a quantity of bright yellow potion into yet another beaker before sealing it and dropping it onto her pocket.

Snape's eyes lit up with recognition. "That's Confusing Concoction, isn't it?" he asked knowledgeably.

"Uh-huh." Calypso replied. "Help yourself to what's left. I won't be back here."

Snape raised his black eyebrows. "Leaving today?"

"In about half an hour." She replied.

"You said tomorrow." Snape hissed in her ear.

Calypso shrugged. "As I said before, situations change."

"What about Fleur?" he challenged her as she started to walk to another bench.

"You can pick up Fleur from Franklin Street park, on the park bench by the playground in two hours." Calypso said smoothly, still walking.

There was silence in the lab as Calypso quickly dismantled the equipment that had previously contained the blue and black liquid, Snape looking curiously over her shoulder, trying to work out what she had brewed.

"So, what have you been up to? Killing Mudbloods? Murdering old Muggles in their beds?" Snape snapped.

"Learning." 

"What?"

"Curses. Hexes. Spells in general. Some of them are quite gruesome, but, hey, look at my teachers."

"You know, Calypso, I'm curious." Snape growled softly in her ear. "I've always wanted to know why you joined us in the first place. And now, why you want to join us again."

"I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Least of all you." Calypso shot back.

"Oh, that's where you are wrong, dear. Very wrong indeed." Snape whispered dangerously close to her ear. He wished that she'd turn around so he could see more than the back of her head, see what expressions were on her face.

"Drop it, Snape." She muttered firmly, screwing two pieces of glass apart and dumping them into a tray.

"Why?"

"Because you need me." She said with an undercurrent of pleasure. "You, and all the Phoenixes desperately need to know the future." There was a tinkle of glass as Calypso rapidly pulled apart her equipment, and Snape thought he could see the hint of a smile on Calypso's face. "I very much doubt that Dumbledore will turn me away if I do ask to join again. I mean, even if he doesn't trust me he can just feed me truth serum and I'll prophesize away."

Suddenly Snape smiled. 

"You obviously haven't been reading the Daily Prophet, have you?" he drawled.

"Why?" Calypso asked, seemingly calm, but she said the words too quickly.

Snape put his hands on his hips. "Well, you are behind the times, aren?t you, Calypso? We might not want you back."

"Why's that?" Calypso stuttered, thrown. "

Because, Calypso, the Phoenixes are no longer in existence."

"Liar." Calypso said uncertainly.

"No, I'm not lying." Snape replied, taking great enjoyment in Calypso growing alarm. "The Ministry has accepted us all as Aurors. Officially. We are an army, really. Three hundred strong, throughout England and Scotland. Dumbledore doesn't call the shots anymore. The Auror's council are more likely to throw you into Azkaban than accept you as an Auror."

Calypso grabbed the tray, filled with dirty equipment and lugged it over to a gargoyle's head that was spewing out cold water. Dumping the tray under the torrent of water, she started rinsing pieces of glassware furiously. "I think you are wrong." She said with an unsteady voice. "You're loosing. Big time. I listen at the dinnertable. I hear Mundungus ducked a little too late and caught the end of a curse." Calypso said calmly, as if she was discussing the weather. "I can see the future. That's tantalizing enough to any Council to keep me out of Azkaban and in their service."

"You're not trustworthy." Snape spat.

"No." Calypso agreed. "And if you have a problem with that, you can shove it up your ass." She finished pleasantly.

Snape just stared at Calypso's retreating back.

Just as she got to the doorway, she hesitated and turned around.

"Snape, just a few last things."

"What now?"

Calypso swallowed. "First, it might be a good idea for the Phoenixes…I mean, some Aurors to pay the Petchell family a friendly visit tonight. They are having unexpected visitors, and I have a feeling a good party may be in the making. Hint hint wink wink."

"Secondly?" Snape snarled.

"Thanks for the use of your potions. I stole lots of your stuff, half done. That's why your last potion didn't work."  
  
Snape seemed to swell with anger, and Calypso quickly continued.

"You can have my leftover potions, though." Calypso added helpfully. "I've got lots of Confusing Concoction left, and the other cauldron's still got heaps of Polyjuice Potion in it."

And with that, Calypso turned around and walked out the door before Snape could react.

############################################

Harry was miserable.

The couch had pressed a funny cross-hatched pattern into his skin, and his leg, propped up on the end of the couch, was still throbbing with pain. He had watched Sally Jesse and Oprah until he thought he could scream.

He had never imagined that life at Remus' house could ever be so mind-numbingly boring.

Life with the Durselys was bad enough, but there was always something to do – Dudley to skirt, Aunt Petunia to dodge, and Uncle Vernon to duck. Plenty of action.

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his emerald eyes tiredly. It was only the morning, but he'd stayed awake all the last night, hearing the howling wind batter the house and shriek through the trees, listening intently for Remus, Sirius or Maria to return. It was childish, but ever since Cedric's death at the end of the school term, he hadn't liked to be alone.

He wasn't really alone in Remus' kooky house, though. Fridge and Pantry were characters, he had to admit. Every time he hobbled into the kitchen, he would be showered with food and warm matronly adoration, until he felt quite embarrassed and had to make a polite getaway. He wasn't quite used to all that love at once, and it made him unsettled and nervous.

Harry stared out the window to the scenic, sweeping views of the countryside. The view wasn't quite what it usually was – the freak storm the night before had ruffled the otherwise soft, mellow landscape. Two of the Peach trees lining the path to the front door had fallen down with a tremendous crash in the night, making Harry jump and grab at his coverlets, eyes flicking around the room in blind terror.

Yet after the storm the day was perfectly calm, almost silently still. Harry cast his gaze over to his room. Tucked away in the wardrobe, beside some old tramping back, was his broom, sitting in the shadows.

Harry scowled and looked back at the crystal blue sky. Any Mediwizard could have fixed his leg perfectly within a day, but his still required a cast. He knew why, though. Sirius had made the doctor only half fix the bone, so he was disabled for the rest of the holidays. He knew this because he had talked to the mirror in his bedroom.

Sirius' theory was that with a crippled leg, Harry couldn't get himself into any trouble.

And, unfortunately for Harry, he was right.

Harry picked up the television remote from the coffee table and the TV blinked into life.

The Young and the Restless, Infomercials and Sally Jesse – _I'm pregnant with my brother's baby!_

Harry turned the TV off with disgust. Remus defiantly needed either a new television aerial or a VCR.

Bored, Harry considered other things to do. Hedwig was carrying a letter to Hermionie, and Pigwidgeon had just left, a letter to Ron strapped to his small leg.

His holiday assignments were well and truly done, even the research project on Levitation Lotions for Snape.

There was always the bookshelves that flanked the walls of Remus' living room, crammed with novels, old and new that Harry could help himself to. But school started in two weeks – and Harry knew he would have enough serious reading to do then.

What else did it leave to do? Harry thought miserably. Suddenly he had a brainwave. Stumbling off the couch and onto his feet, Harry limped down the hallway into his bedroom and walked to the closet. Sliding it open, he was annoyed to find the mirror was in a jovial mood.

"Ohh hello Harry dear. What are you up to, ferreting around in there?" Rorrim sang.

"Nothing." Harry replied. "Just getting my broom for a polishing."

"You've got a broom? Well, I should have known so, you are your father's son, and James was a flying fanatic…"

Harry grabbed the sleek handle of his broom, and as he picked it up, he accidentally nudged the corner of a tramping pack, making it gently topple over. 

Reaching over to stand the pack up again, something caught Harry's eye. Puzzled, he grabbed the pack and heaved it onto his (unmade) bed.

"…whatever the weather, James was always hassling Remus and Cain to go flying…"

Harry ignored Rorrim. He had become quite good at it.

He reached into the bag and felt around. Clothes, clothes, a book, something leather, a hairbrush, and…

There. Harry grabbed the long piece of wood and carefully drew it out.

In his hand he held an impeccable, fifteen inch wand. Harry just stared at it, turning it over and over in his hands. What was a near-new wand doing in a tramping pack? Curious, Harry started hunting around again. 

His fingers probed around past folded up jeans, piles of lolly wrappers, a lipstick container, and hit something cold and hard. He slid his hand around the object and heaved it out.

  
To his astonishment, cupped in his hand was a crystal ball. Well, a cloudy crystal ball, the size and weight of a small shot put. It was slippery and chilly to the touch, it's surface polished to a high sheen. Harry looked quizzically at his reflection.

"Rorrim," he asked, "what's this?"

Rorrim broke off her stream of one-sided conversation. "What?"

Harry held up the crystal ball. "This."

"Oh…erm…Harry love, I really don't think you should be touching that." Rorrim said uncertainly.

"Why not?" Harry asked, tossing the ball up and down in the air. "Who does it belong to?"

Rorrim was unsure of how to start. "Uhh…it belonged to a girl that stayed here for a while, before you came."

Harry caught the ball, and turned interestedly to face Rorrim.

"Really? A girl? Does Sirius have a girlfriend he hasn't told me about yet?" Harry asked, delighted.

Rorrim was quite obviously uncomfortable. "No, she wasn't his girlfriend."

"Is she coming back?" 

"Erm…no, I don't think so."

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. "Then no-one will mind me using these for a while." And ignoring Rorrim's stutterings, he limped out of his room, wand in one hand and crystal ball in the other.

***********************************************

"You got them, Cal?" Kerian whispered as Calypso slipped around into her bedroom.

"Yes. All in my pocket." She replied, dragging the potions out and placing them carefully on the table as Kerian locked the door behind them. "Told Snape where to collect Fleur. Wasn't too happy at the change of plan."

"Tough shit."

"Too right. He's a nasty creep." Calypso agreed. "Kerian, remember to bring Puffy with you when you go."

"Will do so. You all ready?" Kerian asked her, uncorking the phial of black potion.

Calypso took a deep breath, and looked around her small, bare room. "Yeah, I'm all set." She kicked off her shoes and climbed into her bed, sitting up and looking at Kerian expectantly.

Wordlessly, he handed her the black liquid and she held it to her lips and threw it back, swallowing it all one go. 

Kerian nervously knelt next to her bed. "How do you feel?" he asked, eyes clouded with concern.

Calypso looked back at him. "Normal, just a little queasy…" all of a sudden, her body gave a small twitch. "Or maybe, not so fine." She gasped before toppling over onto Kerian's shoulder.

Calmly, Kerian pushed Calypso's inert form back into her bed, and tucked the covers around her shoulders.

She almost looked asleep, apart from the fact that her eyes were wide open, staring in horror at the distance.

Kerian took her pulse.

Nothing.

Without a backwards glance, he stood up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"…and that's all she said." Snape finished, leaning back on his chair.

Heads swiveled around the board table, and murmuring broke out, rolling around the long room.

"Hush!" Danny, former Chief Hit Wizard, and now one of 12 Auror Councilors that controlled the 332-strong British Aurors Force. "One at a time, please, people!"

The talk subsided, and Danny turned to look at Dumbledore, who was stroking his beard thoughtfully. 

"Dumbledore, you have the best experience in this kind of situation. What do you think?"

There was a pause as all members of the Council waited for Dumbledore's reply.

"Watch the park for Fleur, of course." Dumbledore said slowly. "Yes, it might be a trap, but we can't risk it. Five wizards should do."

"What about the girl?" a voice piped up. 

"I don't know." Dumbledore replied. "From what I've heard from her friend, she's extremely unpredictable. Sit and wait, I guess. See what happens tonight. If she breaks out, see if she contacts us. If she doesn't, we'll have to talk about contacting her again."

"Why would we want to?" argued another man.

"Oh please! A true Seer? Hell, that'd be the best secret weapon since…"

"No. A Death Eater?" a lady butted in. 

"She could save our bacon." Another man pointed out logically.

"Or she could kill us all. How many people did she admit to killing? Seven, if my memory serves me right." The woman snapped back.

"I do believe we have already had this conversation." Someone pointed out irritably.

"We need more information." Another voice grumbled.

"Azkaban is the only place for that sort of trash."

…and on it went.

Dumbledore leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling as the other council members argued bitterly.

This was what he hated about being an Auror. 

About ten minutes later, the other council members had argued themselves out.

Dumbledore took his gaze off the ceiling and smiled in a Walt Disney fashion at the red and puffed, angry faces around him. "Right? Finished yet?"

Without waiting for an answer, he carried on. "We need five people to watch Franklin Street park, starting immediately. Any suggestions?"

And again, without waiting for an answer, he kept talking.

"I'd like to suggest Sirius Black." Dumbledore ignored the restless movement that occurred whenever Sirius' name was mentioned. "In dog form, he can easily move about the park."

"I'll second that." A young woman said.

"How about Pete Jackson?" another suggested. 

"Seconded."

"Yasmin Roberts."

"Yeah, I'll second that."

When five people were decided upon, and strangely enough, without any more arguing, the meeting broke up.

Snape waited for Dumbledore as the old wizard watched the eleven other people file out of the room.

"So, what are you really going to do?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore stood up and pushed his gilded chair in. "Actually, I told the council exactly what I was going to do. Play it by ear. Now, if you will excuse me, Severus, I have to get Sirius to the briefing room."

And with a whirl of inky purple robes, Dumbledore walked slowly out of the room and into the Auror Headquarters.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry was lying on the couch again, half listening to info-commercials, sucking on a strawberry thickshake (a gift from Fridge) scoffing down chocolate biscuits (care of Pantry) and rolling the crystal ball around in his hands.

He picked it up and pressed his eye right into it's surface, straining to see something. Anything.

All he saw was cloudy crystal.

With a sigh, Harry dropped the crystal ball onto his stomach and batted it around absently.

He had thought…no, he had hoped…no, he had crazily dreamed that perhaps, just maybe, he was a seer. It was the Scar thing. Especially after those strange dreams he had about Voldemort, and how his scar hurt whenever Voldemort came close…Harry had a suspicion that he tried to deny all the time, that maybe Divination wasn't all a joke. Perhaps, if he worked hard enough at it, he could find Voldemort in the tea leaves or crystal ball.

He was wrong, and frustrated with himself. 

Still, he was entranced by the crystal ball. Nothing like the ones Trelawney used. Hers were dusty and perfectly clear. This one was cold and so slippery it almost felt slimy.

That was it. Harry gave up. Divination was all crap. Annoyed, he dumped the crystal ball onto the coffee table, jamming it between dirty plates so it wouldn't roll away, and stared at it. Hard.

Hermione said that wandless magic was one of the hardest things to do. Period. In her last letter, she had prattled on about how she could get her textbooks to float across the room to her, without using her wand. She had urged Harry to try it as well.

Harry had grudgingly admitted that Hermione had a good idea. It was all too easy to be disarmed and helpless. And what Hermione said was almost always right.

Harry reached out a hand, and urged the crystal ball to levitate. 

Nothing happened. 

He scowled, and concentrated harder on the shiny ball.

"C'mon." he growled. "Float."

Then, slowly, something happened. The ball gave a tiny lurch, and rolled across the wood a few inches.

Harry's face broke into a huge smile. 

Again, he though. He bit his lip, and directed all his willpower at the sphere on the coffee table.

Suddenly, it was like something had broken inside his head. Like a glass wall had suddenly been smashed. 

He could do it, and he knew how.

The crystal ball leapt off the coffee table to hover at the tips of Harry's chewed fingernails.

"Alright." Harry whispered, an idiotic grin on his face. He waved his arm over his head, and watched the ball slowly sail around the room like a dense quaffle. Harry made it go up, down, around, slower, faster…

There was an almighty crash as the crystal ball slammed into the bookcase and shattered into thousands of tiny slivers.

Harry froze, his arm still in the air. 

"Oh shit." He said loudly, and leapt up off the couch to hobble over to the glassy remains strewn through the carpet.

Crouching down, he bit his lip and felt that sinking feeling in his stomach. That feeling when you have destroyed something irreplaceable that belongs to someone else, that you weren't supposed to be goofing off with in the first place.

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit." Harry's vocabulary of swear words wasn't that extensive.

Remus is going to kill me, he though as he swept shards into his hand, and plucked slivers from the carpet. Eventually, he got all the fragments of the crystal ball and, cupping them in his hands, he limped into the kitchen.

Dumping the remains of the crystal ball into the bin, Pantry woke up.

"What have you got there, Harry sweetie?" Pantry cooed in mahogany-rich tones.

Harry grimaced. "Nothing." He replied, and at that instant, jabbed the fleshy part of his palm with a wickedly sharp shard.

Quickly, Harry grabbed the end of the fragment and pulled it out, tossing it into the bin.

Crimson blood welled up in the puncture, and started running down the side of his hand.

Suddenly Harry felt very sleepy.

"Harry?" Pantry asked, concerned. "Harry? Oh dear lord, you're bleeding!" she shrieked.

"Oh, it's nothing." Harry tried to tell Pantry, but Pantry's flapping had woken up Fridge.

"Oooh, that looks nasty!" Fridge declared. "Here, I've got just the thing for it…" Fridge's door swung open and a small red bottle popped out onto the floor. "Harry, just slosh a bit of that onto your cut and it'll be peachy-keen."

Sluggishly, Harry opened the bottle and poured a few drops of the clear liquid onto the profusely bleeding puncture, and screamed.

"Yes, it does sting a bit, doesn't it?" Fridge sympathized as Harry tried to stop his eyes from watering.

"Now Harry, come over here." Pantry demanded, and looking through his tears of pain, Harry hobbled cautiously over to Pantry.

"Here's some bandages….and some stickyplasters…and some Paracetamol…." It was raining medicinal supplies around a rather dizzy Harry.

"All I need is a sticking plaster." Harry mumbled, slapping a Band-Aid awkwardly onto his hand. "Thanks, guys…erm…girls…oh, whatever." His brain wasn't working properly. It seemed as if it was filled with treacle.

Harry stumbled out of the kitchen, deaf to the concerned noises of Fridge and Pantry, and wandered down the hallway, aware that his vision was fading around the edges. Collapsing on the couch, he put his unhurt hand to his forehead. No, no fever. Then why was he feeling so wretched?

Harry tried to look at the TV – and couldn't. He couldn't focus on anything. The room was blurry, and fading in and out. His bones felt like they had lead poured through them.

"Uuuhg." He groaned, and curled up into a ball – as ball-like as he could get with a hard cast on his leg – and wondered what the hell was going on. He didn't faint at the sight of blood, unlike Lavender Brown.

That was his last thought as what seemed to be condensed milk clouded his vision, and he entered another plane.

Harry opened his eyes.

And saw…well, there was actually nothing to see. Unless you thought that eternal whiteness was something to look at.

  
"It's like the Matrix." Harry whispered in awe, running a few steps ahead. 

"Who are you?" A voice from behind him made Harry jump. Swiveling around, Harry came eye to eye with the most severe-looking witch he had ever seen. This woman would have given Professor McGonagall a run for her money.

"Erm…Harry. Potter." Harry stammered. "Ma'am." He added quickly.

The woman looked at him from spectacles and a sharp, pointed nose.

"Hmm. Harry Potter, hey?" she barked back. "You'll do just fine."

"Where am I?" Harry asked, bewildered. 

The woman ignored his question. "I'm Virginia. I need you to do something for me."

"But…"

"Quiet!" Virginia snapped, and, gulping, Harry did so.

"I'm trying to take care of a stupid girl called Calypso. She's important to me…actually she's important to a lot of people, and she' s dug herself into a rather large hole that's threatening to cave in on her." Virginia peered at Harry. "You'll know Sirius Black, won't you?" she demanded.

"Yes, he's my Godfather." Harry said awkwardly.

"Good. Tell Sirius that Calypso has to be helped. She's doing something extremely stupid and dangerous, and at all costs he's to get her somewhere safe."

"Okay. I can do that." Harry said, nodding.

"Right now."

"That's fine. Right now." Harry agreed. "Just get me out of here and back to Remus' house, will you?" he pleaded.

Virginia looked surprised. "Oh, okay then. Just pass that message on, or I'll personally haunt you till the day you die." She promised blandly.

Harry looked suspiciously at Virginia. "But…do you mean…that you're dead?" he asked, confused.

But it was too late. The white plane was dissolving around him, and Harry felt like he was falling. He closed his eyes tightly – it reminded him of travelling by Floo Powder – there was a burst of light, and he opened his eyes again.

Sally Jesse. 

The TV.

A brilliant purple couch. 

The bookshelf, overfilled with thousands of Magical books.

Sunlight streaming in the French doors.

Harry gave a start, and sat up, feeling his head spin.

What the hell? He though. I just fell asleep and had a strange dream. 

Oh, no, that wasn't a dream, Harry. A little voice inside his mind whispered.

Yes it was. Just a crazy dream. Another said.

Harry shook his head. Well, just in case, he'd better tell Sirius. Just in case. Harry didn't feel like being haunted by anyone, especially Virginia. If she was real.

Harry got to his feet and limped over to the fireplace and took off the mantelpiece a small brass bell. He shook it, but no sound came out. Harry put it back, and waited.

Within seconds, there was a quiet whoosh, and Sirius stood next to Harry.

"Hello Sirius." Harry said, smiling.

"Hey Harry." Sirius replied, looked sweaty and frustrated. "What's up?"

Harry didn't exactly know what to say. "Erm…well…you know how you said that if I ever had another dream, I was to contact you immediately?"

Sirius stared at Harry, and beckoned for him to sit down. "Why? Did you see something else?"

Sitting down, Harry decided cringingly to omit the part where he had smashed the crystal ball, and started from the moment he had collapsed on the sofa.

"Well, I sort of fainted…well, not exactly fainted, just collapsed. Or went to sleep, I dunno. And I was in this huge white place. I mean, the ground was white, and the sky was white. But there was no ground or sky, it was just white." Harry stopped. "That just made no sense."

"Go on." Sirius urged him.

"Well, there was just me. And this woman. She said her name was Virginia. She wasn't very nice – very…erm…direct."

"Would you say she was a bitch?" Sirius asked carefully.

"Yeah. But anyway, she asked me to tell you something."

"What?" Sirius said, leaning forward intently.

"That someone named Calypso was in trouble. That she'd dug herself into a pit that was going to fall in on her, and you had to help her at any cost. That she was doing something dangerous and stupid and it was really important that you got her somewhere safe." Harry said uncertainly.

"Did she say anything else?" Sirius asked slowly.

"Well, no, not really. That's just the gist of what she said. Oh yes, and then she threatened to haunt me if I didn't tell you."

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, that sounds about right." He said quietly.

Harry looked curiously at him. "What, do you know Virginia?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, I knew someone that did." He sat there, pondering what to do. 

"Harry, this is very interesting. Thanks for telling me." He said absently, and apparated away, leaving Harry sitting alone on the couch, feeling rather puzzled and very put out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It was one of those days at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. One of those days when a bucketload of people had called in sick, and no-one could be found to replace them. One of those days when the plumbing system on the third story of the South wing was blocked. One of those days when some teen fooling around with his friends had managed to slosh skunk scent all over himself, and trekked it through the hospital corridors. One of those days when every Wizard, Witch, and all their offspring seemed to have injured themselves in some way.

Whatsmore, Dot had a headache.

"Roberts? Roberts?" she called out into the crowd of people in the foyer.

No-one could hear her over the noise. She tried again.

"ROBERTS!" she bellowed.

Finally, results. A witch pushed her way forward to Dot.

"If you'd like to follow me, please, Mrs. Roberts." Dot said, and led the strained-looking witch out of the foyer and down to an empty room where she could hear herself think.

"Now, Mrs. Roberts, be rest assured that little Timmy is just fine. The doctors have worked on him, and he's in recovery right now." Dot said reassuringly.

"Oh thank god!" Mrs. Roberts cried, and sat down heavily on a chair.

"He'll probably be with us for another two days, at least. So I'd advise to go home, pack a toilet bag and other necessities and come back here. By then, Timmy will be ready to receive visitors. The doctor would like to talk to you when you return." Dot continued.

"Thank you, Nurse." Mrs. Roberts blubbered, and Dot lead her back out into the noisy foyer so she could apparate back home.

That's what you get when you leave the door to the potions store unlocked, Dot though angrily. Stupid woman. 

But Dot had no time to waste on idle sentiments. There were still plenty more people to see doctors. Dot trotted up to the desk, and looked at the next name on the list. Lowe. Dot noticed, with a sinking feeling, that the list was a foot long. All we need now, she though glumly, is an emergency to come rolling through those doors.

"Lowe! Mrs. and Mr. Lowe!" Dot called out. "Lowe!"

And at that moment, a group of people burst through the front door, a person lying, unmoving, on a magical stretcher slung between them.

Oh great. Just what the doctor ordered, Dot thought. A bloody emergency case.

Mrs. and Mr. Lowe would have to wait.

Running forward, Dot pulled out her wand, and poked the side of the magical stretcher with it, making her own link with the spell.

"I'll take it from here." She said to the woman with long, blonde curly hair, mascara running down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" Dot asked.

"We found her in her room like this." The man replied chokingly. "She's not breathing. We got her here as soon as possible…"

And with that, Dot sped with the stretcher through the large swinging doors, leaving the pair clinging to each other in the foyer. 

With years of experience, Dot maneuvered the stretcher into a treatment bay, and positioned the body over the bed before ending the spell. Dr. O'Leary was waiting.

"What's up with this one, Dot?" he asked casually, rolling the rigid body over.

"Found like this in her bedroom. Parents said she wasn't breathing…" Dot stopped half-way through her sentence.

Blonde hair and freckles. "Jesus Almighty." Dot whispered. 

"Nah, she's long gone." Dr. O'Leary said, frustrated. "Dead as a doornail. Should've brought her around to the Morgue, not here. Put her down as DOA. What's the matter, Dot?" he added, seeing the stricken look on the Nurse's face.

"Oh dear. It's Angelina's friend." Dot said sadly. "Calypso."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kerian sauntered down the hallway, turned left and nearly walked into the guard.

"Watchit!" the guard growled belligerently.

"Sorry Sanders!" Kerian replied. "Look, I've got your coffee, and Fleur's breakfast."

Indeed, Kerian was holding a tray with toast, cereal, fresh fruit, a cup of Earl Grey tea, and a mug of steaming black coffee.

Sanders grabbed his coffee off the tray and pressed a button on the wall. "Fine. Don't take too long." He grumbled, and the door next to him swung slowly open.

Kerian smiled at the guard, who was slurping his black coffee, and walked into the room.

"Hello Fleur." He said into the darkness as he shut the door behind him.

There was a slight scuffling noise, and a silver-blonde figure appeared at Kerian's elbow.

"Kerian?" she said softly. "Eez it you?"

"In the flesh." Kerian replied, setting the tray down on a small table. "You still want to do this?"

Fleur nodded, sending her mane of hair bobbing. She gazed at Kerian with huge, cartoonishly round eyes with long, thick lashes.

"Okay then." Kerian said, and grimacing, he yanked a hair out of his head. "Yeowch."

Fleur plucked it out of his fingers, and dropped into the teacup, which did not contain Earl Grey tea.

As she stirred it, the potion turned a caramel shade and Kerian talked.

"The Polyjuice Potion only lasts for an hour. An hour, don't forget. It'll only take you fifteen minutes to walk to the park, but if Dumbledore's Merry Men haven't picked you up before the potion wears off, take cover somewhere. You don't want a Princess Cinderella situation on your hands."

Fleur was confused. "A what?"

"What I meant was, Muggles will get freaked if they see you change appearance."

Fleur nodded. "I see."

Kerian continued as Fleur picked up the cup of Polyjuice Potion and sniffed it.

"The guard has Confusion Concoction in his coffee – thank god he drinks it so strong, he won't even notice the taste. But it doesn't last for long, only about twenty minutes, so you'll want to leave here in about ten or so."

"Check." Fleur replied, and, pinching her nose, quickly drained the cup. Kerian took a step backwards.

With a shaking hand, Fleur replaced the cup on the tray, and bent over in agony, her mouth open in a silent scream. She gave a shudder, and suddenly, she was growing taller, broader, her hair dark, masculine…

Kerian looked carefully at Fleur. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeahp." Fleur growled, and jumped at her deep voice. "Oh…this is strange!" she exclaimed.

"You think speaking with a deeper voice is strange?" Kerian shot back. "Try talking to a carbon copy of yourself!" He laughed uneasily. "Remember…ten minutes." With that, he opened the door and walked out into the corridor.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dot pulled a pinch of the powder out from the jar marked 'Dr. Johnson' and threw it into the small fireplace that was used solely to contact doctors in emergencies. The flames turned scarlet, and Dot crouched down, waiting patiently for the FlooComm network to find Neil. Eventually, his face loomed into the flames.

"Hello Dr. Johnson." She said politely.

"Hello Dot!" Neil exclaimed. "Long time, no see! What on earth is the matter? I resigned a few months ago…"

"Oh no, it's not that." Dot quickly corrected him. "Even though we are terrible short-staffed at the moment. It's actually about Angelina's friend. Calypso."

Neil paused for a second. "What about her?" he said carefully.

Dot bit her lip. "Oh Neil, I'm sorry to tell you this, but she was brought in about fifteen minutes ago. DOA." She said gently. "I know she was friends with Angelina, and with Remus Lupin, and I thought you could get in contact-" Neil cut her off.

"Who was she brought in by?" he demanded, urgency in his eyes.

Dot looked shocked. "Umm…a lady and a man. I assumed they were her parents, because of the similarity."

"They still there?" Neil said quickly.

"Why…yes, I think so." Dot replied. "Why-"

"Dot, listen to me." Neil said slowly and clearly. "Stall them. They are criminals. Keep them there till we arrive. Can you do that?" he asked.

Dot was shocked, but snapped out of it. "Yes, Doctor." She promised, and Neil nodded at her. 

"We'll be there as soon as we can manage." He replied, and disappeared from the fire.

The grey-headed, short nurse sat back on her heels, thinking hard. Then she got up, and scurried to the door, making her way to the foyer.

Looking around, she spotted the blonde woman over on a corner, the man beside her. Dot made her way over.

"Excuse me, you were the pair that brought the blonde girl in about fifteen minutes ago, didn't you?" Dot asked politely.

They nodded. 

"I need some names for the registers, please." She said lightly, and drew a quill and clipboard out of her pocket.

"I'm Anthony Laxon, and this is my wife Gemma." The man said. 

"Our daughter's name is Cynthia." Gemma said, gazing at Dot peculiarly.

Cynthia? Dot though. Oh ho. I'll be you my Gringott's vault that they aren't your real names, either.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Laxon, would you please follow me?" Dot said courteously, and beckoned for them to follow.

They both got up from their seats, and walked with Dot towards the West Wing, when they both gave a small gasp.

Dot, hearing their distress, turned around.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing." 'Anthony' replied through gritted teeth. "We have to go now." He said, and to Dot's surprise, and frustration, they both grabbed their forearms, and apparated away.

Dot swiped at the air where the pair had been standing in anger, but they were long gone.

That very second, five Aurors in their navy and silver robes apparated into the foyer, and came running up to Dot as the crowd respectfully cleared a path.

"Where are they, Dot?" Neil asked, scanning the crowd of waiting parents/siblings/relatives/friends.

Dot slumped her shoulders in defeat. "They just apparated away, about two seconds ago." She said miserably. "Sorry Dr. Johnson, there was nothing I could do. There was no warning, they just-"

"That's okay Dot." Remus Lupin said gently. "It's probably a good thing they went. A mini battle pitched here would certainly have civilian casualties."

Dot gave them a luke-warm smile. "Follow me." She said, and beckoned to them.

They twisted their way through the corridors of the West Wing to the Morgue, a chilly, steel building that smelled of death. Dot pushed the heavy door open and led the group in.

The whole left wall of the room consisted of large drawers, each drawer holding a body. Dot trotted along the rows, until she got to one labeled, DOA, 12.21PM, Saturday. F.

"Here she is." Dot said, and pulled the huge drawer open, and gasped.

The drawer was empty.

"Where is she?" Maria asked, confused.

"Right here!" Dot exclaimed. "Well, that was where I put her less than five miniutes ago!"

"Well, she's not here now, that's for certain." Remus said.

"Who would steal a dead body?" Neil pondered.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Fleur and lay down on her bed, looking at the watch on a chain around her neck. Three, two, one…

There. Ten miniutes exactly.

She had gotten changed into the jeans and loose T-shirt that Kerian had previously stashed in her room, and had dragged on the clumpy running shoes. In the mirror, she looked exactly like Kerian. She walked to the door, and tried the handle. 

The doorknob recognized Kerian's fingerprints, and opened easily. Fleur held her breath, pushed the door open, and walked out nonchalantly.

She gave the guard a nod as she strolled past him. He nodded back, but frowned with confusion as she walked down the passage, and turned left.

Fleur couldn't believe it. It was that easy! After how many weeks cooped up in her own little prison, she was finally free! Well, free as soon as she got to the entrance. She turned right, third left, down the stairs, and ….

"Hello Kerian." A deep voice made Fleur stop. Oh no, she though.

"Hello." She replied, turning around to face a tall man sporting an iron grey mullet, with a white skunk stripe down the middle.

"What are you doing here?" Monahan asked with suspicion.

Fleur recited what Kerian had told her. "We've run out of bread for lunch, so I'm just going to pop down to the shops and get a dozen loaves or so."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Monahan replied. "The Dark Lord has called a meeting, so I guess lunch is cancelled."

Fleur felt like she was going to throw up.

"C'mon, let's go get the Portkeys now. Remember what happened to Lafferty when he was late?" Monahan continued.

Oh no, Fleur though. She did some fast thinking. "Look, I'll join you in a minute. I've just got to go to the toilet."

Monahan shrugged. "Oh well, see you then." He said, and watched Fleur walk down the corridor to the door marked 'Toilets.'

"Kerian!" he barked when Fleur was about to walk through the door. 

Her heart stopped. Trying to control her shaking hands, she turned around to face Monahan.

"Yes?" she said slowly.

Monahan gave her a curious look. "That's the woman's toilets, boy."

Fleur looked at the symbol over the door.

"Why yes, you're right. Silly me." She said quickly, hurried over to the other door, and before Monahan could comment on this strange behavior, she had disappeared inside.

Shutting the door behind herself. Fleur tried to get a grip on herself. 

What to do? She though desperately. She couldn't go out the front door anymore – and if anyone saw her, they would try and make her come to this Death Eater meeting. What a nightmare. Two Kerians in one room?

Fleur's eyes darted around the dismal men's toilets. No door out. No escape. Apart from…her eyes settled on the small windows over the urinals. In her own body, it would be a piece of cake. In Kerian's…she would be cutting it fine.

Ignoring the smell, Fleur climbed up on top of the urinals, forced a window wide open, and looked out.

It was a one-story drop down to the garden beside the road. Due to the rain the night before, the ground was soft, and Fleur was sure she could make it. With Kerian's male upper body strength, she could climb around the exterior of the building and find a way down. She'd done worse before. 

Awkwardly, she clambered up onto the top of the urinals and poked a leg through the small window, praying that no-one would decide to visit the toilets at that moment. Slowly, she worked her body through the window, coming into difficulties with her shoulders. 

She hadn't realized how broad men's shoulders were, and for a few scary moment, she thought she was stuck. Angrily, she twisted and squirmed, and eventually worked her way through, loosing a fair bit of skin in the process.

Gasping for breath, Fleur grabbed the sides of the window, and finally pulled her head through, her whole body dangling outside. She risked a look at the ground. It didn't seem far, she thought. If she could just work her way over to that pipe on the left, and shimmy down, she'd be away laughing.

Fleur started moving, inch by inch, over to the pipe, when the toilet door opened, and someone strolled in. With a gasp, Fleur tried to find a handhold that couldn't be seen by the person in the toilets, who she could hear unzipping his fly. She scrabbled around on the outside wall, but found nothing.

To her horror, she found herself hanging on with only one hand, feeling desperately around the wall for something to cling to.

The roar of traffic and the hum of Muggle life seemed to ring in her ears as her fingers gave way, and Fleur found herself slipping, slowly, and then fast, as she fell, to land with a muffled thump, hard on the ground.

She blacked out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kerian walked up to the small Audi parked in the multi-story parking lot, scanning the dreary concrete surroundings for any observers.

"Clear." He murmured. "C'mere, Cal."

He and Calypso sauntered unconcernedly up to the baby blue hatchback as if it was their own car, the dim lighting hiding the wand in Kerian's hand, and the tension in Calypso's shoulders.

Kerian walked straight up to the driver's door, and pressed his wand up against the keyhole.

"Alohomora." he said clearly, and the lock snapped open. Kerian tried the door handle, and it swung open invitingly. He turned around to face Calypso.

"So, I guess this is it." He said awkwardly, smiling sadly at Calypso.

She gave a small sniff, and looked up at her childhood friend. "Yeah. I guess I won't see you again, huh?"

Kerian bit his lip, and gave Calypso a huge bear-hug. "Remember, get the soonest flight back to Australia you can, okay? And drink the rest of the Juliet Potion in half an hour." he said into the top of her hair.

"I know I know!" she moaned half-heartedly. "I'd better get going."

  
Calypso threw her backpack, containing her fake passport, credit card, cash and new pet Puffskien, Puffy, onto the passenger's seat and climbed into the driver's seat, buckling herself. "This car is a tip." She remarked. And it was – food wrappers were strewn throughout the floor and all over the seats.

Kerian pointed his wand at the ignition, muttered the unlocking spell, and the motor chugged to life. Calypso put the car into reverse, and looked up at Kerian.

"Hey, thanks." She said softly. "I know what risks you took to get me outa there."

Kerian smiled at the small blonde, freckled girl sitting in the car. "No problems." He replied, and carefully closed the door, talking a step back.

The car backed out of the carpark, and started to slowly drive off. Suddenly, it stopped, the window wound down, and Calypso's head popped out.

"See you again in some other life, huh?' she called with a smile, and Kerian waved back.

Driving around the carpark to the exit, Calypso tried to breathe normally and struggled not to cry.

The cashier at the gates hardly even noticed her. "Two pounds." he said in a flat voice, and Calypso fumbled with the coins.

Out in the fresh sunshine, Calypso felt a strange feeling in her stomach. Warm, fuzzy. Sort of bubbly, actually. Oops, indicator was on the other side. She'd just turned the windscreen wipers on by mistake. She took off, feeling a slight smile run over her face. Winding the windows down, she pulled out her pigtails with one hand, and let her hair blow around in the rushing wind. 

Calypso reached a hand over to the passenger's seat, and fished out from amongst the rubbish a half eaten Mars bar. What sort of person eats only half a Mars bar? She though to herself as she took a big bite. Ohhh, chocolate….yum…..A person who gets their beat-up car stolen, I suppose.

It was at that moment, driving along the road, eating a Mars bar and starting to feel happy for the first time in weeks, that Virginia finally realized that Calypso wasn't under magical wards anymore. A scream came tearing through Calypso's mind, and she nearly drove straight into a BMW.

__

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! Virginia hollered as Calypso wrestled with the steering wheel.

__

About bloody time! Where the hell have you been! Virginia screamed into Calypso's head.

__

Shut up shut up shut up! Or at least, tone it down, Virginia! Calypso replied. _I'm driving, and you don't want me to have a crash!_

__

Okay, okay. Virginia lowered her mental voice. _Oh thank God I managed to get in touch with you!_ She breathed with relief. _What's been going on?_

Calypso changed lanes, and then replied. _Long story._

__

I want to hear it all. Virginia insisted. _Last thing I knew, you were at that Phoenix Meeting, and things turned to custard._

Calypso sighed. _Okay. That's where things started going, as you put so eloquently, to custard. I worked my way around the back, right, and went through the barrier, coz since I'm a Death Eater myself, it would let me through. I met up with Kerian and, well, basically persuaded him to go._

__

Kerian? Virginia asked.

__

Kerian was another kid in the Death Eater tribe. I grew up with him. He's sorta like my brother. Calypso replied. _Anyway, they all left, and I'd saved the day. Sorta. They got Fleur, and Snape had guessed why I was able to go through the barrier without dying in an ugly fashion. He confronted me, and then dragged me down Diagon Alley and put me on the Knight Bus to his house, where apparently I'd be safe._

__

Go on. Virginia encouraged.

__

Luck would have it that Marion was also on the Knight Bus. Marion was a great friend of my mums.

Virginia groaned. _I do not like the way this story is headed._ She noted.

__

It gets worse, Calypso warned her. _She stunned me, and dragged me back to the halls where the whole Death Eater tribe were staying. So I woke up, and there was my Mum and Dad standing over me._

Virginia started swearing.

__

Oh, I told them that I had traveled to England the moment I heard that the Dark Lord had risen again, to serve him as the sole representative of the Australasian Death Eaters, yadda yadda yadda, and that I was being chased my the Aurors.

Did they believe it? Virginia asked suspiciously.

__

Lapped it up. Well, my parents did, anyway. Not sure about the others. Monahan didn't believe a word, and Kerian knew the truth. Anyhow, I met Sirius on the roof one night, and I had a lovely chat to him. He said that the Phoenixes would help me break out, but I already had a plan. The one that got me out.

And that was?

I was in charge of Potions, right? Apart from learning Hexes and Curses, that was about all I did. So I brewed some Confusing Concoction, Polyjuice Potion and some Juliet Potion.

Juliet Potion is highly dangerous Dark Magic! Virginia said, horrified.

__

Well, it worked. Calypso replied with a mental shrug. _We gave the guard at Fleur's door the Confusing Concoction in his coffee, fed Fleur the Polyjuice with one of Kerian's hairs in it, and I took the Juliet Potion. I 'died' and went to the hospital, Fleur turned into Kerian and walked out the front door to be picked up by Sirius at the park, and Kerian stole my 'body' from the Morgue and gave me the other half of the Juliet Potion. We stole a car, and now I'm on my way to Heathrow Airport with a fake Passport and a ticket to Sydney that leaves in four hours. End of story, everything went exactly to plan._ Calypso said triumphantly.

__

Not bad. Virginia had to admit. _Highly dangerous, but it worked. Your parents think you are dead, so they'll never search for you._

__

A stroke of genius, don't you think? Calypso added smugly. 

__

What really was a stroke of genius was getting Fleur out of there. She's going to be very important later on. Virginia was purring with praise, a sound Calypso had never heard before, and basked it in. _How was she? What did Sirius say?_

Calypso's smile faded a bit. _Well, actually, I don't know._

What do you mean you don't know?

I mean, I don't know! I haven't seen Fleur in ages!

Then how do you know she got picked up by Sirius all right?

I assumed-

Don't assume! Never assume! Assumption is the mother of all fuckups!

Well, so-oreeey!

Turn the car around. Now.

Why?

Don't ask me why, you dipshit. Isn't it obvious? We are going to go and make sure Fleur is all right.

Virginia, I'll miss my plane!

Who gives two hoots about your plane? Fleur may die, and she is more important than you ever will be!

*******************************************

Sirius loved being a dog.

Everyone loved him when he was a dog.

At the present time, he was being fed a strawberry icecream by a round-faced five year old.

"Good doggy woggy." The little boy crooned as he rubbed Snuffles' long coat.

Snuffles finished the icecream and reluctantly left the kid. He was supposed to be working, looking for either Fleur or any sign of a trap.

He trotted away on springy paws, investigating the park bench, the open area where a flock of children were kicking a ball around, and the grove of trees flanking the three sides of the park.

Snuffles sat down and scratched behind his ear. 

Fleur wasn't here. Neither were any Death Eaters. 

Well, they were only five minutes late. Snuffles gallumphed over to leap up on the park bench beside a smartly dressed, dark skinned lady.

Yasmin turned deep black eyes onto him. "What do you think, Sirius? Wait longer?" she asked in an impeccable Proper English accent.

"Ruff." Snuffles barked in his most encouraging manner, and leapt off the seat to scout around some more.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I'm sure she's safe. Calypso said tentatively to Virginia, who was seething with anger. 

__

Sure? How can you be sure when you have no idea? She barked back.

Calypso concentrated on driving through the narrow London streets.

Eventually they reached the small park where Fleur was supposed to be picked up from. Stopped at the red light at the intersection outside the park, Calypso looked around carefully.

__

See, look Virginia-

  
I can't look. I have no eyes. It's like asking a blind man, 'can you see?' I'm dead and living in your head, remember? She snapped

__

Oh yeah, right. Anyway, here's the park, and there's no sign of Wizards, or of Fleur or of Sirius, just kids playing soccer and old people taking walks. So Fleur's been here and Sirius has picked her up, and we can go back to the airport and I can fly home! Calypso thought with relief. But then she spotted movement around the swings that made her feel sick.

__

What? What? Virginia demanded.

Calypso gulped. _It's Sirius. Or should I say, Snuffles. He's still there. That means that-_

Fleur hasn't reached there yet.

Calypso glanced at her watch. "Oh god, the hour's up." She said aloud, and stamped on the accelerator.

Within seconds they were outside the Convent, but to Calypso the drive had taken hours. She pulled into a parking place and nervously poked her head out of the window.

__

I don't see anything. She though.

__

Then you are not looking hard enough! Virginia shot back.

Then Calypso caught a glimpse of something blue and red lying in the garden. That was not a flower of the usual sort.

"Oh holy Mary mother of god." She muttered and frantically opened the door to leap out. However, she was brought up short by her seatbelt, which she had forgotten to take off.

Furiously wrestling with the buckle, she eventually got out of the car and dashed across the street to the small front garden of the looming Convent.

A small voice in her head kept chanting, 'never return to the scene of the crime' as she knelt down beside Fleur's inert form.

"Fleur! Fleur!" Calypso said urgently, shaking her by the shoulder. "Get up!"

Fleur opened her eyes slowly. "Uggggg…." She moaned, and tried and failed to sit up.

Calypso grabbed her around the waist and tried to prop her up. "Fleur! What happened!"

"Met a man…in the hall. Said I had to go to a meeting…so I went to the toilet and climbed out the window, and I fell…" she said gluggily.

Calypso looked up at the toilet windows, a drop of about six meters. "You broken any bones?" she asked.

"No. My head hurts." Fleur replied, grasping her head.

There was a huge, angry graze on Fleur's forehead where her head had struck the bricks while falling. Calypso groaned with horror. 

"Fleur, I think you have a head injury."

__

What am I going to do, Virginia? She asked wildly.

__

Pick her up. Carry her to the car, drive to the park and dump her on Sirius. He'll know what to do.

There's no way I'll be able to carry her. Calypso disagreed.

__

She's part Veela. They have bird bones. You'll manage. Virginia snapped.

Calypso threw one arm under Fleur's knees, and another around her waist. "Put your arm around my neck." She advised, and Fleur nodded, looking cross-eyed at Calypso.

__

Bend at the knees, girl! Virginia screeched at her as Calypso hoisted Fleur up.

Muscles straining, Calypso barely managed to carry Fleur across the road, and at the moment when she though her arms were going to give, they were at the car, the engine still running.

Calypso arranged the limp Fleur into the passenger's seat of the Audi, not bothering to clear away the rubbish first. She ran around the car and leapt into the driver's side, and roared off.

__

Gently gently! Virginia admonished her. _Fleur has a head injury. Do you want to make it worse?_

Shuddup. Calypso replied. She was not in the mood.

They came screeching around the corner and pulled into a carpark right outside the park. Frantically, Calypso dragged Fleur from her seat and left the car running. Turning the ignition off would mean having to hotwire it when she wanted to leave again. That wasn't a problem – Calypso was an expert in hotwiring cars, but it would not bode well for a hasty getaway. Fleur was somewhat better, and with one arm wrapped firmly around Calypso's shoulders, she was able to stumble along to the park.

Calypso eyed up a park bench. "C'mon Fleur, only a bit more to go." She encouraged.

Keep her talking, Virginia instructed.

"I'll just get you to sit on this seat, and Sirius will be along any minute to get you, okay?" Calypso added. Fleur didn't respond. "Fleur?" Calypso asked with concern. "Erm….don't you think Sirius isn't half sexy?" she asked impulsively. 

__

Excuse me? Virginia said.

__

You said to keep her talking! Calypso shot back.

Fleur's eyes lit up, crossed and dizzy as they were. "Sirius? Sexy yes, but he eez far to old for me. Or you." She added with though.

"Yes, but who knows? He might have a brother who has had sons that look just like him. And with the way cloning is going…Think positive, Fleur."

Fleur gave Calypso a strange look, made stranger by the blood on her face and the way her eyes didn't look in the same direction. "You are a crazy, crazy person, Calypso." She said in a wavering voice.

Calypso didn't quite know how to respond to this. 

"Okay Fleur, here we are. I want you to sit here…" Calypso dumped Fleur on the park bench next to a well-dressed woman, "…and wait for Sirius. He won't be long, I saw him just before."

Fleur sat up straight, but started swaying. She fell with a soft thud onto the woman's shoulder. 

"Oh I am so-ree!" she slurred with a French accent. "I did not mean to…"

Fleur trailed off as the woman came into focus. She was slumped on the bench, her eyes wide open with a look of horror on them. "Calypsooooo…" Fleur started, but Calypso had already noticed the unmoving woman, and the thin trail of blood from the corner of her mouth.

Calypso took a few steps back, shaking. "What the…" 

Then she noticed the wand in the dark-skinned woman's hand.

"Oh god." Calypso murmured, and blinked. Slowly, she looked around the park and noticed for the first time that something was seriously, seriously wrong.

There was no-one else in the park.

That was, if you didn't count the unmoving bodies. The pair over by the tree, the young girl on the seesaw, the four little boys on the soccer pitch…

Calypso's heart was racing. 

Suddenly she was aware that there was movement. There were flashes of light from behind the patch of trees.

Spells.

She felt numb, but could hear the incantations clearly.

"STUPEFY!"

Calypso saw a figure collapse.

"Sirius?" she called out in terror.

Fleur gave a whimper.

Then slowly, a figure moved out from the trees.

It wasn't Sirius.

"Well, fancy meeting you here." Monahan drawled lazily, flicking his wand between his fingers.

The bottom dropped out of Calypso's world. She stared at Monahan in mute horror.

"Oh no. Run, Calypso." Fleur whispered, and Calypso snapped out of it. She turned on her heels, and fleet footed, took off across the grass, her blood pounding in her ears.

Suddenly, she heard words being shouted, and something hit the back of her legs hard, locking them together. She fell, ploughing into the soft dirt, and came to rest on her back.

Frantically, she tried to get up, but her legs were stuck together. Rolling over, she hopelessly tried to scramble away on her stomach.

Then a heavy foot smashed into her back. "Hello Calypso. You look pathetically like a caterpillar. Oh no, more like the worm you are." Monahan said smoothly.

Calypso didn't bother replying. Instead, she tried to squirm away. 

Monahan increased the pressure on Calypso's back until she squeaked. 

"Traitor." He hissed with rage. "You slimy traitor."

He raised his wand, and pointed it down at Calypso.

  
"You know, in films people always get away because the killer takes his time." He said lightly. "You, dear, are not going to get away. Goodbye."

And with that, Calypso closed her eyes tightly. She was going to die – she'd seen Monahan kill many times before and she was certain that he wouldn't be nice and use Avadara Kedavra on her. He had better than that painless curse up his sleeve.

"INCDENCO-" Monahan roared, and was suddenly cut off.

Calypso felt Monahan's foot come off her back and she opened her eyes with surprise. 

Yells and savage growling came from behind her.

Calypso rolled over and looked at the source of the noise.

Snuffles was mauling Monahan. He had Monahan's wrist in his large jaws, and was ripping away at his wand. Monahan wasn't giving up his wand without a fight, though, and was kicking Snuffles' abdomen viciously. The fight wasn't going to last much longer, though, and Monahan was gaining the upper hand.

'Fleur!" Calypso yelled. Fleur sat up. "Fleur, throw me that lady's wand!" 

Fleur nodded, and wrestled the wand off the dead woman. Standing up the best she could, she threw the wand in Calypso's general direction. It landed several meters to Calypso's right, and she dragged herself through the muddy ground over to it.

Finally she grabbed hold of the smooth wood, and relieved, pointed it at her legs.

"Finite Incantium." She said clearly. Her legs gave a twitch, and moved freely.

Leaping to her feet, and ran across to where Snuffles and Monahan were wrestling. Snuffles was weakening with every kick Monahan threw, but most of the skin on Monahan's arm, wrist and hand was gone. 

Calypso aimed very carefully, and yelled, "Crucio!"

Monahan jumped like he had been hit by an electric current, and began screaming in agony, twisting around on the ground in pain. Calypso stood and watched, feeling a dark, but pleasurable feeling run through her veins.

Snuffles pulled himself off the pain-stricken Monahan, and with a pop, turned into a blood-stained Sirius Black.

He took two steps over to Calypso and snatched the wand out of her unmoving hand.

Turning it on the screaming Monahan, he cried, "Stupefy." Monahan froze, his eyes popping and his mouth screwed into an expression of torture.

Sirius turned around to face Calypso.

"What the hell are you doing!" he yelled at her.

"Saving you god-dammed arse!" she yelled back.

"Looks like the other way around to me!" Sirius snarled back.

__

Don't yell at him, get Fleur and get the hell out of here! Virginia shrieked into Calypso's head.

"Come on!" Calypso snapped at Sirius. "You get Monahan, I'll get Fleur."

And to her surprise, Sirius bent over and started picking up Monahan's frozen form.

Calypso ran over to Fleur, who was struggling to her feet. Talking one last look at the dead witch beside Fleur, Calypso shuddered and wrapped an arm around Fleur's shoulders.

Fleur was uncoordinated and confused, and moving her was hard with the ground soft underfoot. The pair staggered over to the car – apart from the fact that the car wasn't there anymore.

Calypso looked in amazement around the carpark. 

"Where eez the car, Calypso?" Fleur asked.

"I parked it right here!" Calypso said in disbelief. "Right here…" with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Calypso realized what had happened.

"Some bastard stole the car that I stole!" she raged to Sirius, who had come, dragging Monahan's body on an enchanted stretcher.

"What?" Sirius asked, looking at Calypso. She was a mess – her hair was windswept and full of dirt and twigs. There was mud smeared all down the left side of her body and face, and she was furious. Dangling around her right shoulder was Fleur, shining with beauty, even through the blood still weeping from her forehead. 

"You just don't steal cars someone else has taken the trouble to steal!" Calypso continued, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Sirius chose not to comment.

"Calypso, we have to get out of here." He said urgently, and at that moment, the distant wail of sirens started.

"How?" she asked angrily. "We can't apparate out – you can, but me and Fleur can't."

"I've got a Portkey, but it's only programmed for one person." Sirius said quickly. "I can change it, but it'll take time."

"How much time?"

Sirius shrugged. "Half an hour, give or take a few minutes."

"We don't have half an hour!" Calypso yelled at Sirius.

"Blow me down with a feather, I hadn't noticed!" Sirius suddenly yelled back at Calypso.

__

Calm down the both of you. Virginia snapped into Calypso's mind. _Steal another car. Calypso, you drive, and Sirius can program the Portkey. _

Sirius watched Calypso quizzically. Her face was going through all sorts of emotions – anger, frustration, thoughtfulness, and then relief.

"Sirius," she said, "I've got a plan."

"What is it?" he said wearily. 

"Magic me up a gun, will you?" she demanded.

Sirius stared at her.

"It doesn't have to be able to fire." She said impatiently. "Just look big and scary and shiny and able to blow someone's brains out."

Sirius hesitated, and Calypso exploded. "Come on, we don't have all day! Unless you'd rather be recaptured!"

Sirius scowled at her and pointed his wand at an empty Coke can on the pavement. As Calypso watched, the tin warped and stretched, molding itself into a large handgun with a red grip covered in curly white writing.

"Just what the doctor ordered." She said, impressed, and picked up the gun off the footpath. It was as light as the tin can it was Transfigured from, but looked lethal. "Now, Sirius, hold onto Fleur here." She propped Fleur against Sirius' shoulder.

"Okay, when I say get moving, get moving, okay?" she asked with a wink.

Sirius looked worried. 

"Trust me, okay?" she called over her shoulder as she walked out into the traffic.

Sirius watched in bewilderment as the traffic, on the green light, swirled around Calypso. Eventually, the lights turned Red, and the cars backed up.

Suddenly Sirius realized what her plan was.

Calypso strode down the rows of waiting cars until she came to one that caught her fancy.

Silver, sedan, shiny. Ford – oh well, beggars can't be choosers, she would have preferred a Holden – quite new, built in the last two years, she would have guessed. Manual. Grunty motor. Driver was a single white male, in late twenties. Calypso smiled. This one would do just fine.

She walked unconcernedly up to the car, and quickly opened the passenger's side door and jumped in.

The driver looked at her in amazement. 

"Who the hell…get out." He said, his eyes narrowing. "Get the fuck out of my car. Who the hell do you think…" he trailed off when Calypso pulled her Coke-can gun on him.

"Get out of the car. Leave it running, though. Or I'll shoot you goddammed head into the Post Office over there." She said sweetly.

The driver's jaw dropped, and he started blubbering incoherently. Calypso twitched the gun in his direction. "Out. Now." She repeated in a firmer voice, and with a few second's delay, the driver unclicked his seatbelt, and had scampered out of the car. 

Calypso gave a grin. That was easier than expected. She opened up the door and got out.

"Sirius!" she yelled. "Move it!" She was pleased to note Sirius was already on his way. Jogging around the car, she slid into the driver's seat and adjusted the seat as Sirius opened the passenger's side door. 

"This your idea of a plan?" he asked.

"You got a better one?" she snapped back. "Put Fleur in the back seat."

"Monahan can go in the boot. Pop it for me, will you?" he asked. Calypso scrabbled with the dashboard until the boot opened. By this time the lights had turned green, and the rows of cars behind theirs were tooting their horns angrily.

Sirius dragged Monahan's body around to the boot and, with a flick of his wand, moved his body until he was half-in, half-out of the trunk of the car.

The tooting of the car behind him was beginning to annoy him, so he abandoned his task for a moment and strode the hatchback with the loud horn. He poked his head through the window and gave the middle-aged female driver what he hoped was a winning smile.

"Hi." He said. "Look, we are sort or having a dilemma here. We've just hijacked a rather expensive car, and the dead body is not fitting in the boot. We might just be a few more minutes here until I hack of enough body parts from the dead guy so the boot lid will close."

Sirius took the moment to relish the look of absolute horror on the woman's face.

"I knew you'd understand. So you won't mind stopping honking that bloody horn till we are finished? Thanks." And with that, Sirius walked back to the boot and Monahan's ill-fitting body, grinning in a very canine fashion when the woman started screaming.

Wrestling with Monahan's form, he eventually managed to stuff him in face-forward, and jumped on the boot lid a few times to make it click close. By that time the woman's penetrating voice had informed the neighborhood that Sirius Black was there, had put her car into reverse and backed straight into the car behind her.

Sirius gave a satisfied smile as he sat down heavily next to Calypso. 

"You took your time." She grumbled.

Sirius shrugged.

By this time, the traffic lights had been through a complete cycle, and were green again. Calypso floored the car, and with a lurch they took off.

"Easy!" Sirius exclaimed as they roared around the corner.

"Sorry." Calypso apologized. "I'm not really used to driving high performance vehicles. Where do I go?" she asked, scanning the busy streets.

"Where do you want to go?" Sirius asked her reasonably.

"I dunno." Calypso said. 

"Okay then. Left and then your third right." Sirius instructed.

Calypso followed Sirius' orders, winding around the London streets until they reached what Calypso thought was a motorway and floored it.

"Stay on this road." Sirius instructed sharply, and pulled out of his robes a black case. Flipping it open, he prodded the silver orb inside with his wand. "Don't swerve suddenly or anything."

"Fine." Calypso said back, glancing in the rear view mirror. "Fleur, are you okay?" she asked.

"I feel sick." She replied, and Calypso frowned with concern.

Suddenly, red and blue flashing lights pulsated in the rear view mirror. "Here comes the Calvary." Calypso muttered as a police car gave chase. She stepped on the accelerator harder.

They flashed through London, the skyscrapers a blur, Sirius frowning over the metal orb, Fleur sinking in and out of consciousness on the back seat, Calypso driving, at least ten Police cars, four motorcycles and two helicopters giving chase.

Eventually, Sirius gave a sigh and put the orb down. "Well, that's it. We've just got to wait." He said.

"Wait for what?" Calypso asked with a strained voice, not taking her eyes off the road.

"The Portkey to be updated. Gets done on the hour, so we've got another seven minutes or so." Sirius replied.

Calypso didn't respond.

Sirius looked at her. "Calypso…" he said.

"What?" she snapped.

"What's your problem?" Sirius shot back.

Calypso was lost for words. "Sirius, dear," she said very quietly with underlying fury, "take a few moments to think about what you just said. I'm up shit creek without a paddle, and you just asked me what my problem was."

"Sorry." Sirius replied candidly.

"At least say sorry like you mean it!" Calypso suddenly yelled at him. "For god's sakes, Sirius, you are such a bullshit artist! Can I trust anything you say?" She was livid, her cheeks pink and eyes narrowed.

"Bullshit artist?" Sirius snapped back. "I may be many things, but a bullshit artist is not one-" Calypso cut him off.

"Tell me, Sirius. When did you plan on telling me that the Phoenixes were disbanded and I had pretty much zilch chance of gaining a foothold in the Magical world?" she demanded with a steely gaze.

"Didn't you know?" Sirius said, bewildered.

"No I didn't know!" Calypso replied. "I though I had no hope whatsoever of belonging to the Magical world. Then you offered me a chance to join the Phoenixes again, up on the rooftop, and I was so happy. And then Snape told me that the Phoenixes were no longer in existence and I'd be an outcast. Why did you try and fool me?" she demanded, hurt.

"Now, hang on a minute here!" Sirius rallied. "I'd slipped, saying the Phoenixes would have you back. Freudian slip, honestly. I mean the Auror board. Seriously, Calypso, they'll argue and debate for hours, but in the end, they'll greet you with open arms." He said convincingly.

"Why?" Calypso said, changing lanes to avoid a slow truck.

"They listen to what that old fraud, Trelawney, says." Sirius said with triumph.

Calypso thought about it for a while.

"And besides, there's the items in the back seat and the boot to consider." Sirius added, pointing a thumb at Fleur.

Calypso sighed. "I don't know Sirius. All I know is that I want to go home."

"Home where?" Sirius asked, suddenly thinking of Ben.

"Home Australasia Home!" she declared. "To my sisters and all my madcap flatmates."

Thinking about home suddenly made Sirius remember something. 

"Calypso, why did you never tell us that Remus was you uncle?" he said as another helicopter swooped overhead.

Calypso gave him a look of incredulity, and snorted, looking back onto the road and trying to see where the helicopter was.

"Pull the other one." She replied.

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You mean you didn't know?" he said, bewildered.

"Know what?" Calypso asked.

"Remus is your uncle." He replied.

"What?" Calypso said, turning to look at him, mouth agape.

"Remus is your uncle." Sirius repeated.

Calypso stared at Sirius for several moments, her eyes glazed over and her jaw askew.

"WATCH THE ROAD!" Sirius yelled and grabbed the steering wheel before they ploughed into the median barrier.

"SORRY!" Calypso said, righted the car, and looked back to Sirius with shining eyes. "You really mean it, don't you? Remus is my uncle?"

"Yes." Sirius said firmly as a huge smile slowly spread itself across Calypso mud-splattered face.

"Ohhhhhhh….." she moaned in delight. "Of course! Rorrim said Remus' brother's name was Cain! My Dad's name is Cain! And they even look a little alike!" Calypso looked back to the road and kept blubbering on.

"I never knew my last name when I was little. Calypso Ann Lupin. C A L. That's my nickname, Cal. Not just because those are the first three letters of my name, also because they are my initials!" She was overflowing with happiness. "Sirius, I have relations! Non-evil relations! Oh, this is so cool! Just wait till I tell my sisters!"

"Watch the road." Sirius warned her.

"Sirius…." Fleur's wobbly voice throbbed from the back seat. "I don't feel too good."

Calypso looked in the rear view mirror at Fleur. Her face was pasty white. "Sirius, is that Portkey ready?" she asked.

"Should be." He replied, looking at his watch.

"Fleur is looking terrible."

"I think we should give it a whirl." Sirius said firmly. "Everyone, hold onto you hats!" 

And with that, Sirius opened the box and tipped the Portkey out onto the dashboard.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"..in pursuit of a silver Ford Sedan, license plate VROOOMM doing 188 k/hr in the middle lane." The plump police officer spoke into his receiver. "Requesting…"

His words trailed off. Because the car he and six other Police cars, three motorbikes and two helicopters were chasing, susceptibly with the infamous, elusive Sirius Black as a passenger, disappeared into thin air in the middle of the road.

"Barry!" he exclaimed. "What the hell?" 

Barry applied the brakes, and the car came screeching to a halt.

Dazed, the two officers climbed out to stand on the road.

"Where did it go to?" Dave asked Barry, who was looking around desperately. Farther up, other police cars were doing the same.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Traveling by Portkey was a horrible sensation. One well versed lady had likened it to 'having your stomach sucked out the top of your head with a straw'. 

Calypso quite agreed. Flying thousands of kilometers was not pleasant.

The car landed quite spectacularly on a dusty driveway, sending chickens flying. 

The airbags deployed, saving Sirius from breaking his nose on the dashboard.

As the dust settled, Calypso battled her airbag, which was pinning her to the seat. "You stupid…bloody…damned…airbag!" she choked, punching it until she could reach the door handle.

Sirius shook his head, clearing the stars. "Everyone okay?" he asked.

"Just bloody fine!" Calypso fumed, and stormed out of the car.

Sirius turned around to look at Fleur. She was slumped over in her seat, the only thing holding her up her seatbelt. "Oh shit." He said softly, and struggled to get out.

Emerging into the dusty landscape, Sirius went straight for Fleur. Opening the door and carefully unbuckling her limp form, he scooped her up and headed straight for the house.

"Come on in Calypso!" he yelled.

Calypso just stood there, looking at where they had landed.

They were out in the country side, fields of rich green grass rose on each side, hedges and tall poplars flanking the hills. In front of them was one of the strangest structures Calypso had seen. 

It was built like…well, Calypso couldn't think of anything to relate it to. It seemed to be a haphazard attempt at building a house. The bottom story, well, where the front door was located, was make of red bricks. A glasshouse off to the side gave support to the upper story, which was weatherboarded, and bigger than the ground story. A balcony dominated the next story, which was bricked again. On the next story, off to the left was a tower reaching another two stories high. On the other side were two more, smaller stories, one with bay windows, and the other with a huge balcony.

Calypso couldn't see how it was standing. Each successive story was wider than the last one, and the whole building was skewed to the right. She finally came to a suitable simile. It was like some little kid's attempt to build a house out of Lego Bricks. Just mash another room on top of, or beside the last.

She took a few hesitant steps forward, looking around the grounds. Thick, untamed hedges surrounded the garden, where wildflowers and roses grew amok. However, the lawn was clipped, the trees huge and leafy, and there was a picnic table just visible.

Huddling in the hedge, still shell-shocked from the car landing on top of where they used to be standing, were a whole flock of motely-coloured chickens, bocking and clicking in distress.

Sirius had said to come in, but Calypso had an innate fear that the building might collapse when she entered. However, a pile of shoes and boots strewn by the front door, a horseshoe nailed over the doorframe, and a crooked sign that read 'The Burrow' reassured her that other people had entered and were still alive. 

Reluctantly, she tried to wipe some of the mud off her face, and only succeededin smearing it further. Then, feeling much more composed, but just as wary, she walked in the front door.

###################################

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

(Insert standard disclaimer here)

Millions and gazillions of thanks and kudos to Allylupin, my Beta-reader. I wish you fairy dust and happy thoughts. (And good luck in your exams as well.)

Oh, I though I'd better say a huge THANK YOU to all you people who review. I like it best when you review often and write heaps, but I know that's too much to ask, so I just want to say….I LOVE YOU! to all those people who have reviewed. And please don't stop. ;-) 

Luff,

Sorceress.


	14. Rats!

Calypso kicked off her muddy shoes and deposited them by the front door before venturing inside the ramshackle house, feeling rather apprehensive

Hello one and all!!!

Me? I'm peachy. My new job is great, I work 9 hours a day at the mo but get weekends off. Hence all this writing. 

On that note, some of you may have been rather confused by a new story I posted, entitled 'The Spying Game." OKAY – It's only the proluge-thingy up at the moment. I posted it because then I had motivation to get the rest written. Unfortunatly, I didn't put an author's note on it saying so – because author's notes like mine are a bad, bad habit and also because I simply assumed everyone would just know there was more to come. Oh well, you live and learn.

Anyway, scroll down, brave reader!!!!!!

CH 14. - RATS!

Calypso sat in the bath, bubbles up to her neck, and looked around cautiously. 

No magical objects were to be spotted, but Calypso knew better than to assume that just because she couldn't see them, they were not there.

The Burrow, as the sign by the door had named the ramshackle house, reminded Calypso of the movie, 'The Labyrinth'. Look at it for too long and you either get a headache or go cross-eyed.

From the confines of her bathtub, Calypso listened carefully to the sounds from downstairs drifting up the uneven staircase. A radio was on, nattering about a sale at Quality Quidditch Supplies. Molly was baking – Calypso could hear the bangs and crashes of pots hitting pans, and the smell wafting under the bathroom door was delicious.

Calypso sorted through the multitudes of bottles at the end of the tub, and eventually found a container of shampoo that looked somewhat normal. Scrubbing it through her hair, she pondered her fate.

Her carefully laid plans had backfired. Royally. She wasn't back in Australia. Instead, sitting in a bathtub in an Auror Safe House. However, she'd managed to rescue Fleur from the Death Eaters, and she had captured Monahan. Correction, she thought glumly, Fleur was in hospital, unconscious, and Sirius had captured Monahan.

Rinsing out her hair, she considered her possibilities.

Joining the Aurors – lovely thought, but not practical. She was a Death Eater, for god's sake!

Going home, getting a real job, settling down...Calypso smiled. Life back to normal.

__

That won't work either. Virginia pointed out crisply. _Have you forgotten what you did about ten minutes ago?_

Calypso gave a sigh as she realized that Virginia was right. She had become Sirius Black's accomplice in murdering innocent park-goers. Not that Sirius had killed anyone, but that was they way the Muggle Newspapers would see it.

__

Add Grand Theft Auto to that list. Virginia said. _Oh, and kidnapping Fleur. Aiding a felon. Armed Robbery. Speeding. Failure to stop for a Police Officer. Not indicating when…._

__

I get the point! Calypso snapped back.

So that put living a Muggle life into the realm of impossibility.

The other options were slim. Working for the Aurors, or going to Azkaban. And unfortunately, Calypso had no choice in the decision.

__

Just sit back and relax, Virginia suggested. _There's nothing you can do about anything. Sirius will sort it all out._

Hooray, Calypso thought back. _My future is in someone else's hands. And of all people, it had to be Sirius._

What's wrong with Sirius?

Oh come on, Virginia! He's the Boy Who Never Grew Up!

And at that, Calypso had a sudden memory flash. A while back...a dream...Peter Pan...

__

Virginia!

What?

That dream I had! When those cartoon characters shot apples off the top of my head?

What about it?

Those cartoon characters were people! Calypso thought with delight. _Peter Pan is Sirius! The Boy Who Never Grew Up! Do you get it?_

Yes I get it. Who were the other cartoon characters? Virginia snapped, but Calypso sensed excitement in Virginia's abrupt manner.

__

Oh…..wait….that's right. Calypso said with triumph. _Matt. From Digimon._

Who is he supposed to symbolize?

Remus, I guess. Matt's Digimon is sorta wolf-ish looking. And I guess you could say Matt is a bit like Remus. You know, the solitary, brooding type.

Okay, who was the other character?

Calypso sat in the bath and racked her brains. _Vegeta. From Dragonball Z._ Then she scowled when she realized whom Vegeta was meant to represent.

"You must be joking." She declared out loud, a look of distaste on her face.

__

What? Virginia asked.

__

It's Snape.

What is the problem with that?

Because I think the message of that dream was to trust those people. You know, they did shoot apples off my head. And I don't mind trusting Sirius and Remus, but I'd like to stay as far away from Snape as possible. Slimy cretin. She added.

Virginia was about to reply, but at that moment there was a whoosh and a crash from the kitchen that made Calypso slop water over the side of the bath in fright.

"Muuuum! We're home!" a voice yelled.

"About time." Molly grumbled. "You were supposed to be back before lunch, George."

"Sorry Mum," George said jovially, "But Quality Quidditch Supplies were having a huge sale, and since Hermione, Ron and Ginny all need new brooms, we argued them down to-"

"And where is your sister?" Molly interrupted.

"Just..." George said, and suddenly there was another swish and bang.

"Here!" a girl called. "Hey Mum, just look what I got!"

Another crash from the kitchen made Calypso feel slightly nervous, and she gripped the side of the bathtub, casting a wary eye at the ceiling. What was all that noise from?

"Hello Hermione dear." Molly gushed.

"Morning, Mrs. Weasley." Another new voice said back. "Thanks for letting me stay-"

There was another bang. "Right! Who's up for a game of Quidditch?" yet another voice called.

"I'm in!"

"Bags Chaser!"

"George! Don't touch those scones! Fred! Put those biscuits back! They're not for you!"

"I'm Keeper!" 

Crash!

By this time the kitchen was thundering with noise and Calypso was a little more than alarmed. As the crowd in the kitchen ransacked Molly's fresh baking and thundered out the back door, yelling and whooping, Calypso leapt out of the bath, dried herself and put on the clothes Molly had found. The two-tone blue robes were a little tight in some places and a little loose in others, but Calypso wasn't about to complain. Dragging a comb through her hair, she tugged the bathroom door open – it was warped – and descended the stairs.

Molly was tidying up the wreckage that previously was a clean, orderly kitchen.

"Hello Calypso." She said tiredly, uprighting a chair. "Nice bath?"

"Lovely, thanks Molly." Calypso replied, eyeing up the scones.

"Have some food, if there's any left." Molly sighed, and with a whisk of her wand, mopped the floors, which were covered with ashy footprints. 

Molly had read Calypso's mind. She sat down at the table and wolfed down scones. The last time she had eaten was at breakfast, and a lot had happened since then.

"The others have gone to play Quidditch." Molly said as Calypso started on the tarts. "We've got a spare broom, if you want to join them. That'll bring the numbers up to eight, so they'll have even teams."

Calypso opened her mouth to say that she didn't know how to play Quidditch, but it was full of raspberry tart, and Molly had already stuffed her hand full of afghans, tucked a broom under her arm and pointed her towards the door.

"They'll be just over that hill, in the paddock surrounded by those poplars." Molly called out to her as she plodded over the lawn. 

__

Virginia, Calypso thought desperately, _How do you play Quidditch?_

Virginia sighed. _Okay. Firstly, there are four balls. The round, red one is called the Quaffle..._

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ron roared around the field on his brand-spanking new Silver Arrow B-series. He zapped past Hermione, who scowled at him, and looped Ginny on her equally new Silver Arrow A-series. George beckoned from the ground, and Ron came to an impressive, screeching halt right in front of him.

"So, what do you think?" George asked, his eyes twinkling.

Ron was momentarily lost for words. "It's absolutely brilliant." He finally managed to say, panting.

"Worth having to use second-hand books all year?" Fred asked, lugging over a large box.

"Definitely." Ron agreed, nodding his head.

"We ready to start?" Ginny called from far up above in the blue sky.

"No." Bill called. "Just wait a little bit more. Ben's got the Containment Spell up, but with some of those poplars blown over in that storm, the Muggle Repelling Charms are a little weak. I'll have them done soon."

Hermione, who was ducking and diving in the air on her new Silver Arrow A-series identical to Ginny's, suddenly stopped and looked out over the top of the poplars.

"Hey!" she called. "There's someone coming. With a broom."

"Oh good." Fred said. "Who is it? If they'll play, that'll make eight, four on each side."

"Don't know who it is." Hermione called back, squinting to try and see. "It doesn't look like Voldemort, though. Unless he dyed his hair blonde and started wearing blue robes."

Everyone stopped what they were doing - Bill, Ben, Fred and George pulling their wands out (Fred and George illegally, since they were still students at Hogwarts, but since when had Fred and George let silly little laws and rules stop them from doing anything?).

"Ben!" Bill called. "Check it out, can you?"

"Sweet." Ben replied, and jumped back onto his broom. He took off slowly, and deliberately flying behind the sun, silently made his way down the hill as the figure made its way up.

Bill, George, Fred, Hermione, Ron and Ginny all waited apprehensively as Ben moved forward warily.

Suddenly, Ben landed and leapt off his broom. Yelling something that was scattered by the wind, he ran full tit at the stranger, who stopped, startled, and then gave a loud shriek and began running at him.

"Uh-ho." Ginny said as Bill shuffled them over to the trees. 

"This doesn't look good." Fred said nervously.

"Listen!" Bill barked at them. "Get back home as soon as…" he trailed off. Because instead of engaging in furious fighting with the stranger as they had all expected, Ben had ran into her open arms, and was twirling her around joyously.

"What the…" Bill exclaimed.

"Oh that is so SWEET!" Hermione cooed.

"Like in a Muggle movie!" Ginny added, wringing her hands.

"What do you reckon, Fred?" George asked. "D'ya reckon he knows her?" For at that moment, the pair were crushed together in a smoldering kiss.

"That's interesting." Bill remarked. "Ben's from Australia. He said he didn't know anyone over here."

Ron studied the couple. "Well, I don't know, Bill, but it looks like he knows her pretty well."

"Cut the sarcasm, Ron." Bill moaned as they started trudging down the slope to where Ben and his mystery partner were currently making out. "I get enough from Fred and George."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ben couldn't believe it. 

What on earth was Calypso doing here? He pulled away from Calypso and stared at her face. Still the same cheeky smile, snub nose and blue-grey eyes. Same kiss. It had to be her.

"Calypso?" he asked hesitantly.

She grinned at him. "Shouldn't you have asked that before you tried to ravage my tonsils?" she asked cheekily.

He considered this briefly. "Probably." He eventually replied. "But think of the possibilities..."

Calypso punched him playfully in the chest. "What on earth are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound annoyed, but failing dreadfully.

Ben put on his haughtiest look. "I, my dear, am a member of the Australasian Auror Force." He told her before falling back to a grin. "Ain't that a gas?"

"Crikey!" Calypso replied, eyes wide open in fake shock. "Someone gave you a position of responsibility? The world must be coming to an end!"

Ben gave a short laugh, and grabbed Calypso in a huge bear hug, twirling her around again.

"I am SO happy to see you!" He exclaimed.

"And I'm sooooooo happy to see you!" Calypso replied breathlessly as he finally put her down. Catching a glimpse of movement over Ben's shoulder, she wrapped an arm around his waist. "Hey, who are your friends?" she asked.

Ben turned around, and waved to the group. "The Weasley kids, and one of their friends. Bill Weasley and I escorted them to Diagon Alley to do their school shopping."

Several thoughts ran through Calypso's mind, but she only had time to voice one.

"Erm...Ben..." she said awkwardly. "Bill thinks I'm a Death Eater."

Ben shot a quick look at Calypso. "Well, that may pose a problem." He said. "Quick, jump on my back." He commanded, and bent over slightly. Very confused, Calypso leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Why?" she asked into his ear.

"Because he can't curse you through me, can he?" Ben replied logically.

Calypso wasn't so sure. "I don't know. I stand out like a sheet of white paper against your skin and hair. If he's a good shot..."

"Don't worry." Ben assured her as the Weasleys drew closer.

"Hey! Bill! Don't worry, she's a friend!" he yelled out.

"Bit more than a friend, if you ask me!" a redheaded boy yelled back, and was hit with the Jelly-Legs curse by Bill for his rudeness.

"Goodness, Ben, you do meet friends in strange plac..." Bill trailed off as he recognized Calypso.

"Hello Bill." Calypso said jovially from Ben's back, on which she was slowly slipping off. "I'm on your side now, so don't do anything rash like hex me or anything, okay?"

Bill stared at Calypso, and gave Ben a calculated look. "What's going on here, Ben?" he demanded as Calypso lost her grip on Ben's back and fell with a yelp and a thud onto the ground.

Two hands were offered to her as she struggled to get up. Calypso grabbed both of them and they hauled her to her feet. Brushing grass off her back, she looked at the pair that had helped her off the ground.

They were identical redheaded boys. Identical down to the last freckle, about seventeen or eighteen, and were bother giving her matching, mischievous grins.

"Hello," one said brightly, extending his hand. "I'm George Weasley." 

Bill and Ben walked off a way to talk in an undertone.

"Calypso Grey." Calypso replied, taking the hand and staring him in a twinkling blue eye. He's safe, she concluded. Trouble, but fun.

"Fred Weasley." The other twin declared, and Calypso shook that hand as well, getting exactly the same message from Fred's eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked curiously.

"Your Mum told me you needed another person to play Quidditch." Calypso replied honestly. Smiles spread across the faces of all.

"Brilliant!" George declared. "Come on," he said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her up the hill, "Meet the rest of the team! That's Ron." George said, pointing out a rather bemused, lanky boy standing taller than the twins, with equally red hair. 

"This is Hermione Granger," he said as Hermione studied Calypso intently, her masses of brown curly hair escaping her ponytail in the wind. 

"And Ginny...where's Ginny?" he said, looking around. Ginny stepped from behind Ron, and Calypso dropped her jaw at Ginny's hair colour. Sure, the rest of her family had very red hair, but Ginny's...

"Eat your heart out, Poison Ivy." Calypso said under her breath. While the rest of her family's hair was red, Ginny sported a dazzling blood-red mane of wavy hair "Did you dye your hair?" she asked faintly.

"I thought that if I was cursed with Weasley red hair, I'd make the most of it." Ginny replied, shrugging.

"Come on, Bill!" Fred yelled behind them. "We've got Quidditch to play!"

Ben broke off his talk with Bill and followed them. Bill still looked suspiciously at Calypso, but trod up the hill all the same.

"Right. Bill, Me, Ron and Ginny will be on one team." George declared. "Ben, Fred, Hermione and Calypso - that was your name, wasn't it? - on the other team. Two Chasers, one Beater and one Keeper."

"I'm Chaser!" Ron called as he leapt onto his broom.

"I am too!" Ginny yelled, taking to the skies with Ron.

Fred turned to Calypso. "So, what position do you want to play? Visitors first." He said courteously.

"Keeper." Calypso said uncertainly, still overwhelmed at meeting Ben. Keeper seemed the most straightforward position for her first Quidditch match.

"Right you are." Fred said. "I'm Chaser." He told Ben and Bill, who had just re-appeared. 

"Talk later." Calypso told Ben as he opened his mouth to say something. "I've got my first game of Quidditch to play." _And maybe my last, _she thought, but didn't add.

__

You are just procrastinating! Virginia warned.

__

And it feels good! Calypso replied. And to her surprise, Virginia declined to comment.

Ben looked at Calypso curiously, but jumped onto his broom and flew to meet his teammates.

Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, Calypso mounted her broom like Remus had taught her, and flew up as Fred kicked open a box of Quidditch balls.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Dumbledore drew the curtains carefully back around Fleur's bed and turned to Remus.

"Well, I must say I never saw this one coming." Dumbledore said quietly into his beard.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Remus said as they walked away down the ward, soles slapping on the shiny lino. "That they kept her alive. I mean, why?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Random, maybe." He shook his head suddenly as they pushed the heavy swinging doors at the end of the ward open, and marched through.

"Calypso will know." Remus pointed out, and Dumbledore suddenly looked very serious. 

"I don't know what to do with that one." He mumbled.

"What's going on there anyway?" Remus asked, concern in his eyes.

Dumbledore drew a watch on a chain out of his pocket. "The team of Aurors should be there about now. They'll take both Monahan and Calypso." He said as they climbed a staircase and wound around a few corners, ending up in a distant, barely used corner of the hospital. Their footsteps rang eerily in the deserted corridors. Dumbledore, however, knew where they were headed. At the end of a nondescript corridor, he turned to a door and rapped twice. The door swung open, and revealed a man in his white doctor's robes, stethoscope dangling around his neck.

"Dumbledore." He said briefly. "Lupin, come in." 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Voldemort tapped his wand idly against the side of his throne, gazing around the hall in a bored manner.

"It's really not good enough." He said in an undertone, his cold voice slicing through the apprehensive air. "All you had to do was keep Ms. Declaur alive and healthy until the potion was completed, and you couldn't even do that?" Voldemort turned one roving red eye onto Octavia, who was kneeling at the foot of the dais.

Voldemort heaved himself off his throne, and slowly sauntered down the stairs to address his Death Eaters.

"What has happened, Octavia?" he purred. "You used to be infallible. Now you can't even keep a little girl captive?"

Octavia gave a small twitch. "My Lord..." she started.

"I do not want to hear excuses." Voldemort snapped back at her. He paused for a moment, considering something. "I realize there was a level of confusion when your daughter died that assisted in Ms. Declaur's escape. I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. She was a fine Death Eater. Loyal and talented. Great prospects there."

Octavia bowed even lower. "Life goes on." she said in a strained voice.

"Indeed it does." He agreed. "I am a merciful man." Voldemort declared suddenly. "And in sight of your recent loss, I will let this one mistake lapse. After all, it is the first mistake in...what? Your twenty five years of loyal service." Voldemort gave a thin-lipped smile to the kneeling woman. "Apart from getting captured twelve years ago, of course." He added. "Did you ever find out how those Aurors found you?"

Octavia shook her head, still staring at the marble floor.

Voldemort tapped his wand on his thigh, thinking. "Investigate that further. I don't want security breaches again. Now, where were we?" he asked nobody in particular. "That's right. Who was the guard on Ms. Decalur's cell?" he called out.

The rows of black-robed, hooded Death Eaters dared not move. 

Voldemort studied them with interest. "Come forth, whoever the guard was." He crooned dangerously. "No need to be afraid."

When it became apparent that no one would own up, Voldemort turned to Octavia. "Faithful lady, it seems that your guard is lacking courage." He said pleasantly. "Would you be able to find him for me?"

Octavia slowly rose from her kneeling position. "I would be glad to, my Liege." She promised, spun on her heel and delved into the ranks of Death Eaters. Brushing past black-cloaked bodies, she suddenly reached out and grabbed the front of a man's robed. With furiosity she yanked him off his feet and hauled him to the bottom of the dais. 

"This is the inept guard." Octavia said, and kicked the man in the ribs without remorse.

The man rolled over onto his knees and prostrated himself before an unimpressed Voldemort. 

"Have mercy, my Lord..." the guard blubbered. 

"I have no time for such a miserable excuse for a servant." Voldemort declared, slowly raising his wand. "Take this as a lesson, my Death Eaters." He intoned to the crowd. "I do not like failure."

"Nooooo! Please..." the man said in a strangled cry, his eyes wide with terror.

"Take it like a man." Octavia said, a look of utter contempt upon her face.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort hissed, and with a flash of green light, the guard's life was snuffed out. His body rolled back down the steps, the dull thwop as his limbs hit the marble echoing eerily around the hall. 

Voldemort studied the body with disgust. "Remember this, Octavia." He said to the cold woman. "I let you off easily this time. I will not give you a second chance. Find Ms. Declaur, and either capture her, or kill her. I do not particularly care which."

Octavia bowed again, and retreated back into the dark ranks. 

Kerian lifted his eyes from the floor and gazed at Octavia from under his heavy, black hood. She was wearing a cat-like smile.

Kerian shuddered, and averted his eyes from their calculating leader.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Calypso loved Quidditch. Intensely. Why, she thought to herself, didn't she start playing back at home?

She had discovered a few things about herself. Firstly, that she was a passable keeper. Secondly, that she absolutely sucked as a Chaser. And thirdly, that playing Beater was much harder than it looked.

"OI!" Hermione yelled as the Bludger Calypso had just thwacked streaked straight for her. "I'm on your team! Don't hit the Bludger at me!" Hermione ducked the black Bludger and pulled a face at Calypso.

"Sorry!" Calypso yelled to Hermione, who just waved it off. 

The problem was, Calypso thought, not intercepting the Bludger and hitting it away from the Chaser, but hitting it in a constructive direction. Still, hitting it was enough of a challenge. Calypso had nearly been knocked off her broom when she swung at the Bludger – and totally missed. Luckily, the Bludger had sailed under her arm, to tail Bill.

Calypso's team was losing by sixty points – mainly due to Calypso's poor playing ability. Yet none of the team begrudged her, and if anything, seemed to find her feverish attempts amusing. 

"Want to swap, Calypso?" Called Fred from by the scoring hoop.

Calypso tried to catch her breath and chase the Bludger as well. 

"Yes!" she eventually wheezed, and Fred shot away from his position as Keeper and lightly snatched the Beater's club off Calypso. 

Thankful, Calypso retreated to the scoring hoop and successfully stopped Ginny from scoring. 

Ben was zooming away with the Quaffle when suddenly all the balls dropped to earth.

"What?" Fred exclaimed angrily, until he saw his mother glaring at them from the sidelines. "Oh, what is it now?"

All eight players slowly flew down to where Molly, still in her apron and covered in flour, awaited them.

"Bill, there are Aurors here to see you. And you." Molly added, nodding at Ben. "They want you to Apparate over immediately."

Bill nodded his head at his mother, and disappeared. Ben, however, gave a concerned glance at Calypso. "You sure you are going to be okay?" he asked her. 

Calypso nodded. "I'll be fine." She assured him, and he reluctantly Apparated out.

__

I wish that wasn't a lie. Calypso thought as Molly turned to her.

"Calypso, they want to see you as well." Molly said. "Fred! George! Put the Quidditch balls away and come back home."

A plaintive cry rose from the redheads. 

"Muuuuuuuuum!"

"Please, just a little longer!"

"Be a sport, Mum!"

Molly shook her head. "You've been playing for two hours now. Come back home before you get too sunburnt. God knows you are red enough already."

Scowling, Fred and George packed up the Quidditch balls while Ron, Ginny and Hermione collected Ben and Bill's brooms. 

"Who wants to speak to me, Molly?" Calypso asked as they began walking (or in Fred and George's case, stomping sullenly) back to the house.

Molly frowned. "Danny Dunkirk. He was the former Hit Wizard Chief – now he's on the Auror Board."

Her words slipped like ice into Calypso's ears. 

__

I'm in for it now. Calypso thought desperately.

__

Stop being all so melodramatic. Virginia hissed. _Get yourself together. They'll probably just arrest you._

__

Just? Calypso thought back sarcastically.

Molly glanced at Calypso's ashen face. "Are you okay, love?" she asked kindly. Calypso swallowed.

"I should be fine." She said slowly as they climbed the stile over the hedge into the Weasley's back garden, the others tailing behind.

************************************

Small paws skidded along the dirt floor, tiny nails leaving miniature scratches in the compacted dirt. The intruder into the catacombs was a wise, battle-hardened sewer rat, searching for food. He was to be sadly disappointed. 

The chamber he had entered through a grill on the surface was bleak and bare. The rat's red, beady eyes ran around the floor, and he raced over to a likely looking pile. Snuffling the dark, rotting pile, he discovered it was only a set of robes, long forgotten. The rat sat on the disintegrating heap for a moment, and looked around.

The ceiling soared above him, and the walls were miles in each direction – actually, the roof was only the height of two men, and the chamber was about 100 by 50 meters, but from the rat's point of view, it was enormous. Water slowly oozed from between the dank bricks, and ran in green rivulets, joining and turning into streams and then rivers of slime and moss down the walls. There were black charcoal streaks over the torch brackets, spaced closely along the wall at head level, but the last time any torches had been lit was over 500 years ago. 

Yet over beside one trickling wall, a desk was still standing, a clay inkpot with two ratty quills still propped up in it. A sheet of parchment and an old, leather covered book were sitting peacefully on the desk, another quill lying beside them, seemingly tossed there after the writer had scrawled the loopy message on the parchment. And sitting on the piece of parchment, like an oversized paperweight, was a crystal ball.

It was this desk that the rat noticed immediately – not only because it was the only significant thing in the whole immense chamber – but also because it was the source of the light. 

The desk and what lay haphazardly on it was glowing with a mellow yellow light – only slight, but enough in that miserably dark cavern to light up almost the whole chamber, and to make the rat squint. 

Like a moth drawn to a candle, the rat scampered off the pile of rotting robes, and scurried over towards the glowing furniture, dodging the remains of a chair, before, trembling, he approached the shining, seemingly humming amber aura of the desk. He flared his nostrils and sniffed – only to smell the musty, dusty scent of the underground hall – and a strange, tangy, electric smell. 

Food, perhaps, the rat thought. Sweeping his scaly tail from side to side, he battled his fear of the unknown with his hunger.

Hunger won. 

The rat took a mere step forward – and was no more.

There was a slight clatter that echoed tinnily around the massive, wet brick walls of the chamber as small rat-bones fell onto the dirt floor.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Charmaine and Philip were huddled down under a shrub on the outskirts of the Malfoy Manor, utterly cold and miserable. 

Philip shot a warning glance at Charmaine as she begun to snuffle. Charmaine quickly put a finger under her nose, but rolled her eyes in panic as the sneeze rolled on.

"Quietus!" Philip whispered, just in time. Charmaine sneezed, but thanks to the charm, the noise was negligible.

Rubbing her nose, Charmaine gave a silent thumbs-up to Philip, who nodded back, and stared back at the sky.

After waiting for a few moments, Philip picked up the piece of parchment and pen, and wrote

What's the time?

As Charmaine read Philip's carefully printed letters, the ink shivered and then melted away. Charmaine took the pen, filled with Weasley's patented Disappearing Ink, and scrawled back

10.13PM.

I knew it was PM.Philip replied.

Just making sure.

Are there any scones left?

No, I ate the last one.

Pig!

First in, first served.

Any Butterbeer, then?

Charmaine reached inside a bag, and rummaged around, eventually pulling out a sipper bottle and handing it over to Philip, who drank from it thirstily.

Heard the latest? About Calypso? Charmaine wrote.

You are going to tell me anyway, whether I say yes or no, aren't you?Philip scrawled back wryly. Charmaine ignored this.

She's on trial. 

Where?

I don't know. No one knows, it's a closed court. The gossip is that the Auror's board are sorting things out so that they get to keep her. 

Keep her? Why?

As a replacement for Trelawney. 

So the Aurors have finally worked out that she's as useless as a condom dispenser in Vatican City? 

No, Trelawney says that the stress 'clouds her inner eye' so she's leaving when Hogwarts starts again. 

Who cares about the reason as long as she's gone! 

Hear hear. 

Where? I don't hear anything.

I don't hear anything either! It's just a saying.

But at that moment, there was a slight noise from the Malfoy Manor. Charmaine dropped the parchment and quill, and listened very carefully.

There was a creak, a mumble of voices, and a dull thwap as the window was closed again. 

Philip sprang to his feet, and was quickly followed by Charmaine as they slipped down through the forest, their black-painted bodies mingling with the undergrowth as they raced the owl over the lip of the hill. 

Panting, they reached the clearing, and scouted the dark night's sky for the silent messenger bird. 

Charmaine tapped Philip on the shoulder and pointed her wand at him.

"Oculus." She muttered, and Philip winced as his eyes were made super-sensitive. He looked up at the sky – which was now incredibly bright – and easily spotted the dark bulk of the owl winging its way serenely over the stars. 

Raising his wand, he tracked the owl's flight pattern for a while, aiming carefully.

"Stupefy." He said carefully, and a green jet of light shot from the end of his wand, and immediately he clapped his hands to his super-sensitive eyes, which had been blinded by the sudden light.

"Wingdarim Leviosa." He heard Charmaine whisper, and, with one hand still covering his smarting eyes, he raised his wand vaguely in the direction of the owl. 

"Accio Owl." He muttered, and within seconds, something soft and furry thumped into his stomach. 

A hand cradled his chin, and pulled his head around.

"Deoculus." She said, and suddenly Philip could see again. The Oculus charm was dangerous – it gave the charmed person nightvision, but as wearers of Muggle night-vision goggles had discovered, sudden flashes of bright light could blind the wearer. What the pair of Aurors had done was even more dangerous – Charmaine had put two Oculus charms on Philip so he could see the owl clearly. Now, with one of the charms taken off, Philip could look at Charmaine again – before, her skin was too bright to bear, covered in black paint as it was.

Charmaine gave him a double thumbs-up. Clambering up off the ground, Philip scooped up the bundle of feathers that was the stupefied Eagle Owl, and tucked it like a ball under his arm before following Charmaine back up the hill and to their hiding place under the bush.

When they had finally wound their way around the dense undergrowth back to their camp, Charmaine dug into her bag and pulled out a small velvet box, and Philip unceremoniously dumped the poor owl on the ground. Charmaine flipped the box open to reveal a small metal orb. Carefully aiming, she tilted the box and the Portkey rolled out and fell onto the owl, which promptly disappeared.

Philip collapsed under the bush again, and leant against the tree tiredly as Charmaine did the same. 

What's the time?

10.22PM. Only another hour and thirty-eight more minutes to go.

Only. 

Know any jokes? Good jokes?

A Warlock, a Centaur and a troll go into a pub, right? The Warlock says to the Centaur….

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Meanwhile, at 10.22PM on the same night, Calypso was huddled in the corner of her cell, trying to stop herself falling asleep, and kicking at the rats that tried to nibble her toes. 

Azkaban was cold.

Calypso couldn't remember the last time she was so cold. The cruel wind whistled through the bars on the tiny window high up on her cell wall and gushed down, filling her cell and roaring down the corridor, mingling with terrified screams, hopeless crying, mad laughter, and occasionally, from Calypso, whimpering.

She hugged her knees even tighter as a Dementor floated past on the nightly rounds, and she tried to squeeze even further into the corner. The cold, damp stone of the walls dug into her back, but the pain was a relief, a distraction from her mind. For the Dementor had stopped in front of Calypso's cell, and was enjoying the effects he had on her.

For all that filled Calypso's head were memories. 

Blood was everywhere.

Kuia dead, cold, killed.

Like a skipping record, the last few images replayed over and over in her head. Trembling, Calypso dug her nails into her legs, and to the Dementor's great satisfaction, started to slowly cry.

Suddenly, she stopped crying and slumped forward on her pallet. The Dementor, used to prisoners collapsing, shrugged and moved on towards the next cell, leaving Calypso dreaming.

__

She was sitting in a child's sandpit, making sandcastles. With a blue plastic shovel, she heaped damp sand into a bucket and compressed it with a pudgy child's fist.

Upending the bucket onto a flat area of sand, she thwapped it a few times on the bottom before easing the bucket up, leaving behind… Calypso gasped.

Sitting in the sandpit was a perfect model of the Azkaban Prison, complete with ramparts, watchtowers, moat, turrets and drawbridge – all made out of sand. 

Yet her dream self did not ponder this, and instead began shoveling more sand into the bucket, and created another sandcastle.

Calypso looked at the two sandcastles produced by the plain bucket. Azkaban she recognized, but she could guess what the other castle was, with its soaring towers, lake, and sprawling halls.

Hogwarts.

Suddenly, another little boy sat down beside her at the same time the sun came out from behind the clouds. Amazingly quickly, the sand started to dry and crumble. As Calypso watched, one of the towers of Hogwarts collapsed, while the wall of Azkaban started to give way.

"No!" her dream self cried, and the little boy stared at her. 

"One fortress will fall." He said solemnly. "It is your choice."

Calypso crawled onto her hands and knees, grabbed a handful of wet sand, and tried to repair the damage to Azkaban, and at the same time rebuild Hogwart's towers, which were collapsing at an alarming rate. 

The little boy just watched.

"One fortress WILL fall." He repeated. "Choose which one – and you'd better choose quick." 

This was true, as the sandcastles were crumbling away faster than Calypso could repair them.

"One fortress will fall." The boy said again.

Calypso woke with a start, and sent flying a rat that was chewing at her hair.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

At the same time in the fortress of Azkaban, yet another rat was prowling the long corridors. Yet this rat was different from those also scurrying along the stone floors, for two reasons. 

Firstly, this rat was ducking into every cell methodically, spending a few minutes in each, while the other rats randomly followed the smell of potential food. 

And also, with every fourth step, instead of a tiny click as a nail hit the ground, there was a sharp, resonating clink.

For this rat had a silver paw.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Judge Lesley Solomon looked over the edge of her half-glasses and stared solemnly down at Danny Dunkirk, the ex-Hit Wizard Chief and now member of the Auror board, who was looking hopefully back up at her.

"You do realize what you are asking me to do, don't you?" she asked tiredly.

Danny nodded. "Your Honor, you've seen the evidence. She's just a confused girl who's made some bad choices."

Judge Solomon sighed and shuffled the papers on her desk. The wig on her head was itching, and she had enough of this whole sordid affair. 

"Awful choices is a better description. This is hard, Dunkirk." She replied. "On one hand, she's admitted she's a Death Eater. She's already been on trial for murdering seven people. And on the other, she was under the age of seven at the time. She turned in her parents and the whole Death Eater tribe. Then she saved the inhabitants of Peachgrove Village, the life of the late Mundungus Fletcher, rescued Fleur Decalour, and with the help of Sirius Black, brought in another Death Eater."

Danny tried his luck. 

"And she's a true Seer. If she would help the Auror Board as an advisor, it'd be…"

Judge Solomon ignored him. "I do agree that the ruling the Australasian Judge set on her was harsh. Too harsh. You have to pity the poor girl – but she also has 42 Muggle criminal convictions!" To emphasize her point, the Judge rifled through stacks of paper. 

Danny bit his lip. You aren't making this easy, Calypso, he thought.

"What more could you expect after being dumped into Foster Care without any counseling! With her childhood! If the Press had got hold of that st…"

"Quiet, Mr. Dunkirk!" Judge Solomon, giving him a cold stare over the tops of her glasses. "We have been over this before!"

Danny shut up.

"I'm ready to make my ruling." Solomon suddenly announced. Danny's eyes lit up. He had been arguing with Judge Solomon for five days now.

"She doesn't deserve to go to Azkaban." The judge stated clearly. "But we can't let her go free."

Danny thought quickly.

"What I propose," the judge continued, "is that she become a ward of Alastor Moody. Moody will be responsible for her, and her actions."

Judge Solomon stared at a shocked Danny. "Is that ruling to your liking?" she said tartly.

"I…I…it seems good." Danny finally said, gathering his scattered thoughts. "Why not Lupin? He is her blood relative, after all!"

"Act 87, section 2, clause 5 of the 1982 Werewolf Rules and Regulations Amendment Act – 'no werewolf shall adopt or become legal guardian for any non-were creature.' I would have preferred Lupin, yes, but it would be against the law. Sirius Black is out of the question. Moody is the next best choice – he's had kids, and he's a strong, experienced Auror with time on his hands now that he's retired."

"Does Alastor agree to this?" Danny said faintly.

"I have already talked to him." Solomon replied curtly.

"So Calypso can still help us?" Danny said, his pulse quickening.

"Ask Moody. As I said, he's responsible for her. In the words of Pontis Pilate, 'I wash my hands." The Judge said, snapping her lawbook closed. 

The trial was over.

******************************************************

Okay, you may have noticed that this chapter is shorter than the last one. That's deliberate. 

Chapters will now be shorter and posted more frequently. 

Why? Because chapters like my last one slow down my computer when I try and pull them up. ;-)

Kabillion Kazillion thanks to Allylupin, whom by now you should all identify as my marvelous Beat-Reader.

And thanks of course to JK Rowling, who created the HP world in the first place.


	15. Azkaban and Icecream

Five days, Remus thought

Hello there faithful readers!

It seems every time I post a chapter, I'm apoligising for it being late. This is no exception.

Not only did my little sister trip over the modem cord and bend all the prong-y things, I've started a new full-time job (working 9 hours a day is really tiring – be nice to your parents!) and my best friend has become anorexic. 

So I have excuses. Lame, but still excuses. 

Anyhow, on with the story!!!!!!!

Disclaimer – JK Rowling is God. I am a mere mortal. In no way do I proclaim myself to be God. I don't even reach angel standards. (A minor daemon perhaps…)

##################################

Ch 15 – Azkaban and Icecream

*************************************************

Five days, Remus thought. At least it was only five days. He stood beside Mad-Eye Moody on the edge of Azkaban's drawbridge, awaiting Spicier to return with Calypso.

"She's been in for only five days." Moody said in a gruff voice, mirroring exactly what Remus had been thinking. "She shouldn't be too bad."

Remus shook his head. "It all depends on what memories they have. Like Harry, who collapses when the Dementors come near- he has the memories of his parents being killed. The Heir of Slytherin controlled Ginny Weasley - she's badly affected. While someone with a happy past, and most important, a happy childhood, will find the presence of Dementors less terrible than those with a tragic, unhappy memories."

Moody scowled. "You are sounding like a textbook again, Lupin." He grumbled. But still, the point had been made.

Another few minutes passed. 

"Why did you agree to take Calypso as a Ward?" Remus finally asked, no longer able to contain his curiosity. 

Moody shrugged. "Something to do, I guess."

Remus let it drop, but suspected there were deeper reasons than Moody was willing to discuss.

Suddenly, there was a creak, and movement from behind the stone walls.

Ever so slowly, the great drawbridge of Azkaban whirred into life and edged down. Moody and Remus waited cautiously as their view if the prison was enlarged. 

With a thonk, the huge timber slabs hit the ground at Moody's feet. He didn't even flinch, but looked straight ahead.

The drawbridge opened up onto the main courtyard of Azkaban - a huge barren rectangle of cold stone and windswept dust.

There was nothing there. Just shadows from the towering walls, straw blowing around dismally and the tortured moans drifting from the bowels of the prison.

Moody and Remus waited - Moody impassivly, Remus fingering his wand.

Eventually, a figure appeared, walking slowly across the courtyard.

"Moody!" the distant figure called. "Come in."

Remus gave Moody a nervous grin. "After you."

Moody scowled and stepped onto the drawbridge, his false leg making a loud clump with every step. Remus fell in behind as they walked into the infamous Azkaban Wizard Gaol.

Remus had just enough time to take in the huge encircling walls, the biting cold of the wind, and the sickening, depressing pull of the Dementors before Moody spoke.

"Spicier." he barked to the lone figure dwarfed in the immense courtyard. Spicier, Remus could see, was a staunch man of about forty, with a thick brown beard and hair. Written on the back of his robes in yellow was the word 'Warden'.

"Inside, inside." Spicier said, and gestured towards a door on the wall, underneath a soaring watchtower. 

Inside was a small office, equipped with a large fireplace that burned ferociously against the cold wind outside. Spicier sat at his desk and riffled through a stack of parchment.

"Looking as good as ever, Alastor." he said as a way of greeting. "And I take it you are Remus Lupin?"

"Yes. We've come for-"

"Prisoner 16402. Yes, I know. Dumbledore sent an owl." Spicier replied gruffly. "All I need is for you to sign here, Alastor..."

Moody scrawled on the sheet of parchment Spicier handed him, and Remus looked around the office. Apart from filing cabinets, a heap of blankets, the desk and the fireplace, there was nothing else in the room. Spicier saw where Remus was looking.

"No point in trying to make it comfortable." Spicier said briefly. "This is Azkaban, after all. It's not supposed to be nice."

Spicier glanced at the completed form Moody handed him back, and hit a small metal bell on the edge of his desk. The tinny ring could be heard echoing through tunnels under the floor.

"They should be coming." Spicier said, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on the desk. "So, how's retirement, Alastor? I never thought it would suit you."

"I'm not exactly retired, Alec." Moody replied. "I still do odd-jobs for the Aurors and the Ministry. Keeps me on my toes."

"Yes, well, I could never quite picture you playing golf." Spicier said with a slight guawff.

At that moment, Remus heard simultaneously footsteps from behind the external door, and a rush of ice to his stomach that signified a Dementor approaching.

"Hark, the Dementors approachath." Remus mumbled, as the door opened.

Spicier looked up at the Dementor. "Oh good, you've got her." he said mildly, and beckoned the handcuffed Calypso into the room.

She was a mess, and knew it. 

Azkaban didn't have the best bathing facilities, and her face was dirty, the robes borrowed from Mrs. Weasley ripped, her hair lank and knotted. Fear and torment have a way of shrinking people, and hunched over with cold, Remus thought for a second that Calypso was only twelve years old.

Calypso took a hesitant step inside the office, and looked around the room with large, frightened eyes that first settled on Moody. 

She gave a sudden start as she remembered where she had seen him, and stared for a few moments at his torn and disfigured face. 

"Hello lassie." Moody said in a low grumble. 

She gave a nod, and turned to look at Spicier, who had taken his feet off the desk and was handing her a form. 

"What's this?" she asked in a dry, scratchy voice.

"Release papers." Remus said from the shadows. 

Calypso spun around to face Remus, and for the first time in days, a smile - hesitant and unsure, yes, but a smile - crept over her face.

She wasn't quite sure how to react. Remus was her long-lost uncle, and she was suddenly shy. But her heart soared to finally see a friendly face.

"Gudday Remus." she said, her eyes lighting up with irrepressible hope. "What's the deal?"

Spicier spoke. "Somehow the Auror Board has bargained with the Ministry Courts to release you. God knows how. The uproar after Karkaroff was let off..."

"You're going to be working for us." Moody stated, staring at Calypso, who withered under his gaze. 

She bit her lip. "Okay."

"There is a catch, though." Remus said, and Calypso warily eyed the paperwork and quill on Spicier's desk. 

"There's always a catch, isn't there?" she said sullenly.

"You're not entirely free." Remus continued. "Judge Solomon has decreed you can leave Azkaban, but as a Ward of Moody."

Calypso looked incredulously at Remus, jaw slowly dropping. "You...you are joking, aren't you?"

"No, he isn't." Moody replied. "I'm going to be your guardian."

At this, Calypso swelled with anger like a Pufferfish. "I do NOT need a nanny!" she snarled, eyes flashing.

Spicier impassively tapped the papers on his desk with his wand. "I hate to disagree, but recent events contradict you, Miss Grey."

Calypso belligerently stared Spicier in the eye. 

"No. Bloody. Way." she said dangerously. "I am NOT a child."

"Then act your age and not your shoe size!" Moody suddenly growled.

"You have a choice, Miss Grey." Spicier drawled, unconcerned with Calypso's rage, and neatly cutting her off before she could reply to Moody. "Either you can sign this document and leave with Alastor Moody, or you can go back to your cell and wait for a retrial."

At this, all the fight drained out of Calypso. She hesitated. "No. Not the Dementors again." she whispered, looking to the floor.

"Sign it, Calypso." Remus said mildly. "It's the best offer you are going to get."

Calypso stood still for a long time, staring at the release papers. Eventually she sighed, and picked up the quill from Spicier's inkpot.

"I 'spose nothing can be worse than Azkaban." she said miserably, and scrawled her name on the dotted line.

*********************************

Calypso clung onto the edge of the flying carpet for dear life as the ground below them whisked past. 

This is worse than Azkaban, she thought.

"Not scared, are you?" Remus yelled over the rushing air.

"Damn well yes!" she hollered back.

Flying on a broomstick was okay, Calypso thought. At least then you were in control. 

Now her life was entrusted to a mad old man with one leg, one eye and half a face.

It was her first time on a flying carpet. Moody sat at the head of the ancient Indian rug, legs crossed, navigating towards Glasgow. Remus was on Calypso's right, thoroughly enjoying the ride and the view. 

Calypso hated it. At least she didn't have to talk, she though. The depression she had fallen into at Azkaban abated as they left, but returned in full force as she thought about her predicament. 

And Virginia was back.

__

Come on, it's not that bad. She snapped. _Moody may look scary, but he's got a heart of gold. I think._

__

That's not the problem, Virginia. Calypso thought back miserably. _Being an Auror is. You know what it means? It means that I'm going to have to be their puppet again. I was fine about it before, but I'm not now._

__

Don't be silly. You were almost desperate to be an Auror before. What's the matter now? Virginia said with a bite of impatience.

__

Oh, I don't know. It's seeing Mum and Dad again, it feels wrong selling them out. And I only wanted to be an Auror to, well, try and make up for past wrongs, so to speak. But that all seems futile now.

__

Did you get hit over the head in Azkaban? Virginia snarled. _If you don't 'sell out' your parents, dear, Voldemort will conquer the world. Sorry if I sound melodramatic, but that's reality. And whatsmore, your parents are killers. _

__

I know that. You don't' have to remind me. Calypso snapped back.

Maybe I do! And if you don't spill on the Death Eaters, the Aurors might throw you back in Azkaban.

__

I can see the future for them, though. Calypso thought back sullenly.

Virginia sighed_. Hate to be the one to tell you this, but as a Seer you are pretty rudimentary. You've got talent, yes, but you don't know how to use it. _

What?

__

Don't worry your messed-up little head. I've got it sorted. But if you refuse to dish out the goods on the Death Eaters, I won't. And back to Azkaban you go.

That's blackmail! Calypso thought furiously.

__

Yes it is. Virginia said, unconcerned. _But it's for your own good._

Calypso stared at the green landscape swishing by, and bit her lip.

**********************************

"Fetch!" Aria cried, and threw the rolled-up Daily Prophet across the back lawn. Sirius, in dogform, leapt after it.

From the kitchen, Maria watched with interest as she washed the dishes. 

"Sirius gets along rather well with your sister, doesn't he?" she asked the girl sitting in the windowseat.

"Well, Aria's just a permanent 11-year old, really." Melody replied, turning her head towards the source of barks and squeals. "And Sirius strikes me as the sort of person to just hit it off with kids, for some reason."

"Same disregard for authority and love of fun." Maria agreed, and shot a quick look at Melody.

When they had turned up on Remus' doorstep, accompinied by Ben and Dumbledore, Maria had thought for a split second that Melody was Calypso. Then she realized that Melody had brown eyes and freckles. But in the four days they had stayed at Lupin's house, Maria had noticed other major differences between the two almost identical sisters. While Calypso was brash, spontaneous and easily angered, Melody was calm, measured, insightful and thoughtful.

And blind.

Harry limped into the kitchen.

"Hullo." he said, and promptly disappeared into Pantry.

"Do you ever stop eating?" Maria asked Harry's back as he rummaged around, Pantry eagerly offering him ham sandwiches and lamingtons.

"Nohpe." Harry replied, his mouth full of pink sponge. 

"He's a growing boy." Melody observed.

Harry, still chewing, stared curiously at Melody. "Ow'dya know that?" he asked. "You can't see me."

"My sight is the only sense I've lost, Harry. Just because I can't see doesn't mean I'm dumb." Melody replied mildly.

Harry went pink. "Sorry." he mumbled and, arms filled with an assortment of food, he limped back out the door.

Maria wiped her floury hands on her robes, leaving white streaks. "It never ceases to amaze me how tactless Harry is. His father was, at his age, a right little wizard with words. Could charm the pants of any witch. Well, literally, anyway. Right, that's dinner done. I've just got to wait till Remus gets home and I'll..."

Right then, there was a small commotion outside. 

"Sirius! Get off me or I'll be forced to neuter you!"

"Okay, okay, not so hasty!" 

"Remus is back." Maria said with mirth, watching Sirius climb off Remus, upon whom he had ambushed in the long grass. Aria was besides herself with laughter. 

Remus ambled into the kitchen with two very large, very muddy paw prints on the front of his robes. 

"Hello nieces." he began to say, but was cut off by Melody.

"Did you see her?" she exclaimed, staring at Remus with excitement.

"Oh yes." Remus said with a smile.

"What happened? What did she say?"

Remus took a seat. "Well, we got her out of Azkaban and flew to Mad-Eye Moody's place on Glasglow. Calypso was a bit shirty about the whole thing-"

"Why do I not doubt that?" Melody murmured.

"-but she got over it. She looks okay, if a bit miserable and in need of a bath."

"When can we see her?" Aria had just walked through the door, still panting.

"Tomorrow, maybe."

"Depending on what?"

Remus chuckled. "Depending on whether Calypso behaves herself, Moody said."

Melody gave an exasperated snort. "We'll be seeing her next Christmas, then." 

"Have some faith in the girl." Maria said.

"I know her better than you do, and I'm placing money on Christmas."

"Somehow I think Moody is just the sort of 'nanny' Calypso needs, actually." Remus said, leaning back on his chair and staring contentedly at the ceiling.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Calypso stood awkwardly at Moody's front door. Remus had just Apparated away, and she was feeling strangely abandoned. She waited while Moody puffed and wheezed his way up the stairs, wooden leg clunking with every step.

"Rule number one - Don't touch anything." he commanded, and prodded the brass doorhandle with his wand.

Calypso rolled her eyes.

"I saw that." Moody growled.

Calypso had the grace to cringe. She'd forgotten about his magic eye. As Moody's door swung open, she peered expectantly around the corner. Remus looked like an ordinary person, and his house contained weird and wacky things like talking furniture and a wanted criminal in the form of a dog. Moody had a peg-leg, a magical eye and a flying carpet. Calypso couldn't wait to see what his house looked like.

She was disappointed. It looked like any other house - a narrow entrance with a coatstand, and terrible faded orange, brown and white striped wallpaper.

Moody limped in, taking off his cloak and sending it magically sailing across the hall to drape dramatically across the coatstand.

"Follow me, and don't touch anything." he repeated, and Calypso dutifully did so. 

Moody started pointing to the doors off the hallway as they trod down the dark brown, worn carpet. "That there is the kitchen. And the dining room. There's the bathroom, toilet's in there."

Then he stopped in front of one unremarkable door. "This'll be your room-"

Calypso, thinking Moody was courteously letting her go first, reached out and grabbed the door handle.

Before she could blink, the door handle swallowed her hand.

Calypso let rip a shriek that nearly made the wallpaper turn up at the edges.

"MOOOOOODDDDYYYYYY! IT'S EATING MY HAND!"

Indeed, the brass door handle was slowly engulfing more and more of Calypso's arm. Eyes wide with panic, she tried to drag her hand out of the door handle, unaware that she was still screeching.

"Oh, be quiet!" Moody yelled at her, to no avail. "Oh for Merlin's sake..." he pointed his wand at Calypso, who had one foot on the door, straining to tug her arm free.

"Quietus!" he commanded, and Calypso was silent.

"I told you, don't touch anything! Do you ever listen?" Moody prodded the door handle with the tip of his wand, and the brass reluctantly flowed down Calypso's arm and morphed back into a round knob.

Calypso snatched her arm back, and massaged her elbow, the point where the rouge door knob had advanced to. She stared first at the door, and then at Moody, with silent horror, mouthing something at Moody.

"I said quite explicitly, and repeatedly, not to touch anything." Moody said, crossing his arms disagreeably. 

Calypso gave him a look that could kill, and launched into an angry tirade - all of which Moody could not hear. 

Rolling his eyes, Moody kicked the door open and gestured inside. 

"Do me a favor. Go in, sit down, go to sleep, whatever. Just stay in here until I take all my Anti-Intruder Spells off the house. Nothing in this room is hexed." 

And with a firm hand placed in the middle of her back, Calypso was propelled into the room and the door shut firmly behind her.

Still clutching her arm, she looked around. It was a sparsely furnished room, containing a single bed with a worn white candlewick bedspread, a battered dresser and huge piles of cardboard boxes towering to the ceiling.

Miserably she trudged over to the bed and sat down heavily on it. 

It squeaked.

Bloody brilliant. She thought.

She could hear Moody bustling around the house, obviously adjusting his multiple burglar alarms to accomidate the house's newest resident. Calypso kicked off her scuffed shoes, and slithered gratefully into her narrow bed. Filthy and exhausted, she closed heavy eyelids - only to open them again.

A pile of moving pictures over by the wardrobe had caught her eye. Calypso rolled over and pulled the duvet tight around her shoulders, but it was no use.

Her curiosity overcame her tiredness. She had spotted a pile of the Daily Prophet, and after being first a prisoner of the Death Eaters, and then a prisoner in Azkaban, she was hungry for news of the world, magical or Muggle.

She padded barefoot across to the large cardboard box which was sagging under the weight of the last month's copies of the wizarding newspaper. Calypso brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, and delved into the box, bringing out the top pile, about a week's worth. She sat down cross-legged on the threadbare carpet and shook open the first paper, yesterdays.

-SALEM HIGH SCHOOL DESTROYED!!!!! Screamed the headline, accompanied by a rather impressive picture of a lot of rubble, still smoking faintly.

-Today in a blaze of green fire, Salem High School, the infamous North American Wizarding School was razed by Dark Magic. Headmaster Chuck Squiddlywink is relieved the attack took place before any students were at the school. "Tomorrow we would have had two thousand pupils here. Thank God term hadn't started."

No-one was hurt in the attack, apart from three House-elves who received burns after the explosion knocked them into the fireplace. The house-elves' own magic kept them alive when the kitchens collapsed into rubble...

Calypso read the whole paper, including the Horoscopes (at which she snorted with disgust) before tackling the next one, from two days ago.

-AUROR BOARD SWELLS NUMBERS. 

-In a historical move today, the Auror Board of England has merged with the Auror Force of Ireland and the Scottish Aurors to create a unified defense against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his minions. "The Death Eaters don't pay attention to District Boundaries, so why should we?" Danny Dunkirk, Auror Board member said after coming from the debating chamber. The move will nearly triple the numbers of the Aurors, from 228 to 581. Minister of Magic Cornelious Fudge declined to comment on the merger, his PR assistant merely stating that "...Mr. Fudge has no comment on this matter. When he handed responsibility for the safety and protection of all Wizards to the Auror Board, he was determined not to meddle." 

After finishing that paper, Calypso moved onto the next one.

-GRINGOTTS OVERWHELMED

-Gringotts bank is almost full, according to Griphook, Gringott's Bank Security Manager. "We are constructing more vaults as we speak, but we can't keep up with demand." He says. Ever since the resurrection of the Dark Lord, Gringotts has been flooded with Wizards and Witches frantically depositing all their valuables...

Onto the next paper.

-DEATH EATERS SLIP OUT OF TRAP

-An elaborate trap set for the Dark Lord's followers fell to pieces last night when they used illegal Portable Portkeys to escape. Following a tip-off from an unnamed source…

Me! Calypso thought, scowling. Bloody incompetent bastards, and you let them get away! Of course they'd have Portkeys, they always do!

Taking a deep breath, she read on.

-…the Aurors from the Auror Board ambushed a whole Tribe of Death Eaters as they attacked Petchell Cottage in Nottingham. After a brief but furious exchange of curses, the Death Eaters escaped, outnumbered and outgunned. The Petchell family, who had been evacuated previous to the attack, are grateful for their lives...

"Very interesting." Calypso said silently as she finished that paper, unaware that Moody's silencing charm was still upon her. Picking up the next paper and flicking it open, her heart skipped a beat.

-SIRIUS BLACK IN LONDON!!!!!!!

-AURORS MASSACRED IN FRANKTON PARK!!!! 

-MUGGLE CHILDREN AMOUNG THOSE MURDERED!!!!!

-Infamous criminal Sirius Black today killed four Aurors and eight Muggles in a small suburban Park in London, Muggle sources report. The Department for Magical Catastrophes have cordoned off the street, and are interviewing Muggle witnesses. Information is still sketchy at this stage, but official statements from Muggle Police reveal that at 12.21PM today Sirius Black went on a rampage in the small park, killing 12. It is not known what the Aurors were doing at the park. Aided by a young female accomplice, Black then took the dead body of a man and a wounded girl hostage. Black's accomplice then hijacked a car, Black stuffing the corpse into the boot, while terrified motorists looked on. Muggle Policemen gave chase, but lost the fugitives. 

Oh shit, Calypso thought, her eyes drawn to the mug shot of Sirius, who looked pale and gaunt. Scanning through the rest of the article (continued on pages 4 and 5) she soon found a description of Sirius and herself.

Sirius Black - Caucasian Male, 35 years. 181 cm, 75kg. Black hair, black eyes. ARMED AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT APPROACH. CONTACT AURORS IF SIGHTED.

His accomplice - Caucasian female, 15-20 years.

19, you asses! She thought. 

166cm, 55kg. Blonde hair, blue eyes, Australian accent. Freckled, comely.

"COMELY?!?!" Calypso screamed voicelessly, her mouth open with outrage. "I AM NOT COMELY!!!" Fuming, she read on.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS. DO NOT APPROACH. CONTACT AURORS IF SIGHTED.

In the true tradition of the Daily Prophet, the whole article was high on opinion and low on facts. By the time Calypso had finished the paper, she was in a miserable mood, and still smarting about being called 'comely'. 

"They didn't get any of it right. Sirius didn't kill anyone, I'm not his accomplice, Monahan's not dead, Fleur's not a hostage and most of all, I'm not comely!" she mouthed furiously to the wall.

Leaving the newspapers sprawled where they were on the floor, she dragged the curtains in her room closed, and curled up in her bed again. 

"Bloody reporters." She murmured, and fell asleep. 

---------------

"They knew we were there, Cain." Octavia said to her husband, who had his head in his hands. "They bloody well knew."

Cain shook his head slowly. "I just don't understand." Suddenly he stood up and paced around the room. "We handpicked everyone, Octavia." He ranted, gesturing angrily. "We've been through so much together! For twenty or more years! I just can't accept-"

"Someone is betraying us." Octavia finished for him. "Don't worry, love. I'll find them." She promised, eyes narrowing dangerously. 

--------------------

Calypso woke up abruptly as her bed was turned upside down and she hit the floor in an ungainly heap of limbs, cracking her head nastily on the carpet.

"OWWWWWW!!!!! What the..." she mumbled as she dragged herself out of the pile of blankets. Blinking, the imposing figure of Mad-Eye Moody stood before her, pocketing his wand. 

"Wakey wakey." He said gruffly, and turned on his heel to walk out of the room.

"What the HELL was that for?" Calypso yelled at his back as she stood up, furious.

Moody however, had still not lifted the Silencing Charm on Calypso and did not hear. Even if he had, he probably would have ignored her.

Fuming, Calypso sat on the empty bed, glanced at the clock on the wall, and did a double-take. 11.57AM.

"Oh my God. I've slept for twenty hours." She said to no-one in particular. It was a long time to sleep.

__

Dementors have that effect on people. And you didn't sleep very well in Azkaban, I suspect.

Calypso sighed. _Hello Virginia._

__

And hello to you too. Calypso noted a cherry, light-hearted tone in Virginia's mental voice.

__

You seem perky.

__

Oh yes. It's all going to plan. You managed to stuff things up, but it's working it's way out quite nicely.

__

What's working it's way out?

__

Events. And I have some good news for you.

__

Will I like this news? Calypso asked warily as she smoothed out the crinkles in her dirty robes, which she had slept in.

__

Oh, you'll love it! Virginia said with relish. _I'll be leaving you tomorrow._

Calypso blinked in surprise, and paused her grooming. _What?_

__

The spell that lets me live in your head lasts until tomorrow. Well, until you do something, which is going to take place tomorrow.

__

What will I do? Calypso asked with alarm.

__

Finish off a spell I set up 400 years ago. Virginia replied nonchantly.

__

And what spell is this? 

__

Don't worry your pretty little head about the spell. But you'll love the concequences.

__

Concequences? I don't like the sound of that!!!

__

Wait and let me explain. Virginia replied patiently. At that, Calypso knew something was up. Virginia, in her experience, had never been patient. _Once you complete this spell, you won't have to work for the Aurors any more. They'll get what they want, and you'll be free to go. If you don't stuff up, that is._ Virginia's last sentence was steel-hard. 

Calypso's mind whirled. _How do the Aurors get what they want? They want me to see the future for them - and they need me in person to do that. And what do you mean by stuff up?_

__

I mean don't stuff up like get offside with Moody! Or insult anyone on the Auror Board!

__

Moody is a bad-tempered demented old man! And what's this about the Auror Board?

__

Now now, Virginia chided Calypso like she was a small child. _Moody simple believes in discipline and harmony - everything which you are the antithesis of. And the Auror Board? You are meeting them tonight._

__

How do you know all this?

__

Stupid question, love. I'm a Seer, remember? 

__

You never answered my question about this spell. How is it going to work?

__

Wait and see.

Not, tell me!

Patience is a virtue.

Yes yes, and I should learn it. Tell me!

No, it's better if you don't know. 

Why not?

It's more exciting that way. I love suspense.

Shove your suspense up your ass. Tell me!

Calypso dear, I suspect there are a lot of virtues you need to learn!!!

And with that parting remark, Virginia disappeared again. 

Calypso sighed, and walked out of her bedroom to battle Moody.

-----------------------

Moody sipped his cup of tea and put his foot and peg-leg up on Remus' table.

"Nineteen going on twelve." He declared. 

Remus smiled wryly at the accurate assessment of Calypso. "What did she do this time?" he asked.

"Sulked when I got her out of bed after a 20-hour sleep, and then threw a tantrum when I told her I was going out without her."

"Tantrum?" 

"Screamed at me, slammed doors and kicked things."

"That's my sister!" Melody declared. "Don't worry, she'll be fine when you get back. She won't mention the incident at all."

"She usually throws tantrums?" Sirius asked.

"Sometimes. Sulking, yes. But can she yell or what!"

Moody chortled slightly. "Oh, I don't have that problem. Silencing Charm took care of that!"

"I pity you when it wears off, though!" Melody replied dryly. 

"How do you live with her?" Remus asked, rolling his eyes.

"To know her is to love her!" Mel declared, and then smiled. "Honestly, she's great most of the time. It's just when she gets angry, she's very demonstrative. You get used to it."

"Tell me, what's with the rumors I hear about her and Ben?" Maria asked, pouring Moody another cup of tea. "One lump of sugar or two?"

"Three." Moody replied, and looked to Mel. "Yes, what about it?"

Melody scowled. "Those two..." she sighed and swept a long strand of auburn hair out of her sightless eyes. "They've been together for about a year now. On-off relationship. It drives the whole house nuts. I think it's because they are too alike. Anyway, on average every five weeks they'll have a massive row, yelling and screaming and breaking the glass in the door by slamming it too hard. Ben will go our the front door, into town and get absolutely trolleyed at the local pub, the Loose Goose, and Calypso will leave via the back door, take a horse, motorbike or her own two feet and simply disappear for a week or so in the back blocks. And then after a week's up, Ben and Calypso will both come home, pretend nothing's happened, and things will be fine for another five weeks until they have another fight."

"What do they fight over?" Sirius asked.

"Who ate the last of the icecream and left the empty container in the freezer...Whether Georgia is a state of America or an ex-USSR country..."

"Both." Remus noted.

"…if Yak's milk is yellow or pink…...oh, the last one was over whether it was cheaper flying BPKP or by Muggle Air....but that one had been simmering for a while. Ben, like the rest of us, didn't want Cal trotting off to England on a whim. Don't get me wrong, when they're not fighting they get along like a house on fire, but when they are rowing...sheez, it's the most dysfunctional relationship I've ever come across."



Calypso was alerted to Moody's arrival when she heard the pat-THUMP pat-THUMP of his tread on the concrete path. 

She felt rather ashamed of loosing her temper before. It was, she had to admit, uncalled for. Only that being stuck in a Pensioner's flat all day by herself with nothing to do while her geriatric Nanny went visiting her newly-discovered Uncle was a little unfair. 

The day hadn't been all that bad. Calypso had taken a shower in a pokey little bathroom, and in one of the many boxes in her room, had dredged out a pile of clothes. Yes, they were a little old fashioned, but Calypso had picked the best of the robes, decking herself out in inky purple. The robes were too long, but she had found some Spellotape and took the hems up. After the shower, her mood lifted, but that came back down to an all-time low when she tripped over a piece of loose lino in the kitchen and came crashing into the corner of the bench, taking a chunk out of her shin. 

When the bleeding had stopped, and she had cleaned up the milk and cereal she had spilt, she had tried to find something interesting to do. 

Moody, she had discovered, did not own any pets. Not a cat, dog, canary or goldfish in sight. There was, however, a goldfish bowl with frogspawn and snails in it. He was into reading – very heavy reading. _A Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts,_ or _Dementors – Friend or Foe? _Were the reading choices on the table beside a very worn armchair. Not the least interested in books that weighed as much as a dictionary, Calypso decided instead to rummage through the multitude of cardboard boxes in her room. 

After sifting through piles of girls and boys robes – all much outdated – and boxes of trinkets, school books, posters, Quidditch merchandise, teddy bears, dolls and toy wands, Calypso hit paydirt. In the top of her wardrobe, covered in a thick blanket of dust, was a guitar.

Calypso, standing on a box containing four year's ago copies of _Warlock!_ (a Wizard's interest magazine, featuring pictures of scantily-clad buxtom witches) leaned dangerously over and grabbed the neck of the guitar, knocking over a board game. Red and purple figurines tumbled down the side of the wardrobe and bounced off boxes onto the floor, and a few started spitting a nasty smelling liquid around the place indiscriminately.

"Crap." Calypso squeaked as her pile of boxes started to waver. As the tower tilted past the point of no return, Calypso had leapt from the top of her stack, guitar in hand, to land on a purple Gobstone, crunching it into the carpet, while the pile of cardboard boxes fell over with a resounding roar.

As the dust settled, Calypso got up off her hands and knees to survey the damage as parchment fluttered around her feet. 

The previous orderly stacks of boxes were strewn about the room, split and leaking papers, objects and liquids onto the carpet. The tower of boxes that Calypso had been standing on had unfortunately cascaded into another pile, setting off a chain reaction that collapsed the piles like a set of dominoes. Calypso groaned as she saw a heap leaning up against the door, blocking the exit completely. Reluctantly, she had put the guitar on her unmade bed and rolled up her sleeves. 

An hour and a half later, the boxes were refilled and restacked, and the door unblocked. Calypso grabbed her guitar off her bed and went to the back door. 

Moody had said the back yard was okay to go into, but after the doorknob incident, Calypso was wary of handles. Narrowing her eyes at the offending piece of chrome, she used a broom handle to lever the door open. Moody's back yard was a mess – Calypso could vaugely see the handles of a lawnmower peeking out of the jungle of weeds. A path, however, had been hacked to the clothesline, and a wooden lounger sat underneath a sprawling tree, adjacent to the robes billowing in it the breeze. Calypso kicked a few rusted cans on her way to the seat, and upset a few Magpies.

Nestling into the hard lounger, Calypso strummed the guitar lazily. The fact that she didn't know how to play the guitar didn't bother her in the least. Experimentation proved that she could pluck out 'Mary had a little lamb' and 'Twinkle twinkle little star' quite well. After about three hours, she had discovered E and D chord, as well as a few of her own invention. 

By the time Moody had arrived home, it was three PM and she was sleepily strumming the first four bars of 'Kum Bah Yah', a glass of chilled Pumpkin Juice by her elbow. 

"Calypso?" Moody called from inside the house. Calypso swatted a wasp that was buzzing by her face, and called back. "Under the washing line!!!!" she yodeled over the buzz of the next-door neighbour's lawnmower.

Moody soon appeared through the forest of weeds. "I see you discovered my outdoor living area." He joked as he fought his way over, his pegleg getting tangled up in a rather ferocious patch of wandering dew.

"Was that a joke?" Calypso replied with a raised eyebrow. 

Moody extracted his leg from the leafy vine. "What, you don't think I'm capable of humor?"

"Devoid was the word I would have chosen to use." Calypso said with a slight giggle. Moody focused both eyes on her, smiling. Calypso thought Moody smiling was even more disturbing than Moody frowning.

"What did you do to your leg?" he said, noticing the hand-towel Spellotaped around Calypso's calf.

"Lino." She said as an explanation. Moody nodded. "Sorry. Forgot to warn you about that. It's more lethal than most of my Anti-Intruder alarms sometimes."

Suddenly his smile became fixed. "Where…where did you get that from?" he asked, staring at the guitar, which was propped up against the lounger.

Calypso followed his gaze, and jumped.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Wasn't I meant to? It was just that I was bored, and I found it on top of the wardrobe, and it's such a nice guitar, and I've always wanted to play the guitar, so I –"

Moody shook his head. "No, it's okay." He said eventually, but there was an air of awkwardness that lingered in the hot summer sun. Moody continued staring at the guitar, and Calypso uncomfortably started speaking. 

"Umm…look Mr. Moody-"

"Drop this 'Mr.' buisiness." Moody said, snapping back to reality.

"-Moody, I'm…uhh…I'm sorry for being such a childish bitch this morning." Calypso said, growing scarlet.

Moody eyed her with interest. "That's interesting." He said into Calypso's uncomfortable silence. "Your sister swore you'd never apologize."

"Well, Melody thinks she's all that and a packet of Twisties….hang on." It slowly dawned on Calypso exactly what Moody had just said. "My sister?"

"Visited her today. Nice girl. You should take some lessons from her." Moody said tartly.

Calypso's jaw dropped. "Whhhh……" she leapt up and grabbed Moody's arm desperatly. "Where?" she hollered. 

Moody looked down into Calypso's eyes which were shining with delight. "Turn the volume knob down, if you could. She's at Remus' place." He said succulently.

Calypso sprung off Moody's arm and ran screaming with joy around the washing line, hands waving in the air. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I can't BELIEVE it!!!!!"

Moody watched with interest as Calypso leapt over the lounger to latch onto his arm again. 

"What's she doing over here? When can I see her? How long is she staying? Is Aria there? How are they?" Calypso said, jumbling all her words together in excitement.

"She's over here because you were arrested, lassie." Moody said calmly. "She's staying another two days and then both her and your other sister are going back to Australia."

"No, not Australia, New Zealand, that's where we live at the moment." Calypso clapped her hands and skipped around Moody. "Whenohwhenohwhen can I see them?"

The smile dropped from Moody's face. "Sit down, I need to have a talk with you."

Calypso slowly stopped her clapping and bouncing, to stare at Moody. "About what?"

"Just sit." Moody sighed. Calypso politely sat on the edge of an old paint can, letting the old man settle his frame into the lounger. 

"Firstly," Moody began when he was comfortable. "I'm your Guardian, and so what I say goes. I make the rules, and if we don't get along, you go back to Azkaban."

"But-" Calypso interjected.

"Rule number one was 'don't touch anything.' That shall be replaced with 'don't interrupt.'" Moody shot in, eyeballing Calypso. The fiery girl went to retort, then thought better of it. 

"Good. Rule number two is 'do what I say and don't argue."

"What's Rule number three?" Calypso asked. 

Moody paused. He hadn't thought up a number three yet. "Erm…leave the toilet seat up." 

"Excuse me?" Calypso asked, horrified. 

"You are forgetting Rule number two. Don't argue, remember?"

Calypso decided to quit while she was ahead. Don't interrupt, do what Moody says and don't argue, and leave the toilet seat up. She could live with that. 

__

Well, you are finally acting intelligently. Hal-le-lu-jah!

__

Hello Virginia. Thank you for your constructive input, as always. You know, I've always meant to ask you, why are you in my head some of the time and not others?

__

I'll explain later. Talk to Moody.

"You can see your sisters," Moody continued, 'tonight."

Calypso leapt to her feet, face shining with joyous expectation.

"Siddown!" Moody growled. "I haven't finished yet. You can see you sisters, provided everything goes well with the Auror Board meeting which is tonight. In other words, if you don't act up you can see them."

"That's blackmail!" Calypso hissed. 

"Yes it is." Moody said happily, stretching his arms behind his head. "On advice from you sister, actually."

"Oh, Mel doesn't know crap-all. This time, anyway. Usually she's got the answer to the Meaning of Life. I'm going to co-operate with the Aurors, I've already decided."

"That's nice." Moody replied flippantly.

"Thank you." Calypso replied equally sarcastically.

"You know what, lass? I think we two are actually going to get on okay."

******************************************************

Moody sat next to a very nervous Calypso, who was biting her fingernails. He reached over and wordlessly took them out of her mouth. Calypso shot him a dirty look, and started twiddling her thumbs instead. 

"How much longer?" she said eventually.

Moody sighed. They had repeated this performance every few minutes since they had arrived. 

"I don't know, another ten minutes or so. Could be a few seconds, or a few hours. Meetings are like that."

There was silence in the long oak-lined corridors for a few minutes, broken only by Calypso tapping her foot against the polished floor. 

"Tell me," Calypso said into the echoing halls, "why did you take me in? I've been thinking about it over and over and it doesn't make sense."

Moody looked at her with his one good eye, and smiled ever so slightly. "And why doesn't it make sense?"

"Because … 'cause … you are Mad-Eye Moody for God's sakes!" Calypso eventually stuttered. "The famous Auror! Dark-wizard catcher. I knew all about you the whole way away in Australia! You hate Death Eaters, right? So…. why take me as a ward instead of letting me rot in Azkaban, where all Death Eaters belong? Why?" She stared, unblinking at Moody. "Why?"

Moody chuckled. "You are a curious little tyke."

"I'm not little!" Calypso replied crossly.

"Fine then, you're not little. Still curious though."

"You still haven't answered my question."

Moody sighed. "Lassie, I'm retired. On the rubbish heap. Out with the old, in with the new. All that stuff. I've got no other interests apart from the Dark Arts. I'm too old to take up Bridge."

"You're never too old to take up bowls." Calypso offered helpfully.

Moody scowled. "NOT bowls. Old cripple's sport!" he huffed.

"Fine then. You still haven't answered my question though."

"Put it together, lassie. Look, how else would have I gotten this?" Moody turned to Calypso and flashed his new Auror ID card at her. 

Calypso's face slowly lit up with comprehension. "Ohhhh. I see."

"Being your Guardian, I get a foot in the door. I get the gossip, the inside running, the classified news. Aurors can ask for my help and guidance, all of which would be against regulations if I was a Civilian."

"Oh. That's quite smart."

"And you aren't too much of a handful." Moody added. 

There was quiet again. 

"There are other reasons, too." Moody said suddenly.

"Like what?"

"'Know thine enemy.'" Moody quoted quietly.

"Oh."  


At that moment the double doors next to Calypso swung open. 

Moody struggled to his feet and fiddled with his hat. "That's our cue." He muttered to Calypso. 

He didn't need to. Calypso knew, and looked terrified. 



"So nice of you, Miss Grey, to co-operate so willingly." One of the twenty navy-robed figures around the long cedar table said sarcastically. 

"Cut the small talk. What do you want to know?" Calypso said bluntly.

__

Let's take a crash course on diplomacy, Calypso. Lesson one – that was NOT diplomatic! Virginia warned.

__

Look, sorry, I'm just a little teensey bit nervous here!

__

Okay then, I'll guide you through this. 

The members of the Auror Board were scowling at her, apart from Dumbledore, who sat contentedly at one end of the table. Calypso looked his way, and to her surprise and shock, he winked conspiratorially at her. Calypso suspected that the old man enjoyed her stirring the other fussy members of the Auror Board. 

"Manners." Moody whispered gruffly into her ear. 

"Sorry." She murmured back. 

A grey-haired Auror cleared his throat and shuffled a stack of parchment in front of him. "Well, if that is the way Miss Grey would prefer to do things…"

Calypso gave him a sickly sweet smile. 

A round, bald man with huge flabby jowls stared at her. "I'm Cecil Raill. I'll be asking you the questions.

__

Nod. Virginia instructed. Calypso did so.

"Right." The fat man said, looking at the twenty men and women around him. "Let's get started. You are Calypso Ann Grey?"

__

Say yes. Just yes, not 'that's my name don't wear it out' or anything smart.

"Yes."

"You are a former Death Eater of the Australasian Tribe?"

Calypso opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off my Virginia. _Uh huh huh huh! So it wasn't your choice or fault, but just say yes!_

"Yes." Calypso replied sullenly.

The fat man crossed his arms and stared at Calypso, while a Quick Quotes Quill sat poised over a blank sheet of parchment. "Tell us, Calypso, why you left the Death Eaters." 

Every head in the room turned to look at Calypso, who took a deep breath.

"Well…" she started. And suddenly stopped. 

__

Tell them, you fool! I'm loosing my patience! Virginia hissed dangerously.

"Oh my god." Calypso said with goldfish eyes that focused on nothing in particular. "Oh my god, I'd forgotten." 

"Forgotten what?" a lanky witch asked.

Calypso turned to face Cecil, the fat interrogator. 

"Mr. Raill," she asked urgently, "You've got Monahan, don't you?"

"If you mean Oliver Monahan, yes." Cecil replied. 

"Has he said anything to you?" Calypso demanded.

Cecil bristled with indignation. "Whether he has or has not, you are not entitled to that information."

"Because if he has," Calypso continued, "it'll all be lies."

All the faces around the table gave Calypso a depreciating look. 

"Miss Grey, we use a substance called Veritaserum that…" Cecil said in a voice one might use with a child.

"No no no no!!!!" Calypso replied, shaking her head impatiently. "Even with Veritaserum, he'll lie!"

"Impossible." Cecil declared, but a few other members of the Auror Board eyed each other. 

Calypso sighed, leant back in her chair and pushed strands of hair out of her eyes. "No, it's not impossible. Shirley, one of the Death Eaters, was a professional Curse Designer. About a week or two before we were captured, we all got inoculated against Magical Truth Serums. They just don't work on us."

Murmurs arose around the table, and Dumbledore spoke up.

"If this is the case, I propose we call off the Strike force Mr. Monahan has advised us to send to Surrey."

"Prove it." A suspicious grey-topped wizard challenged Calypso. 

"Fine. Anyone got some Veritaserum?" She answered, looking around. 

After a brief consultation, one witch pulled out her wand, and pointed it out the window. "_Accio Veritaserum!_" she commanded, and through the open window came a tiny crystal bottle. It floated along to Calypso, who grabbed it out of midair, and before anyone could stop her, downed the contents in one gulp. 

"Uuuurgh!" she said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "That's bloody disgusting!" Looking up, she saw every face at the table was craning for a look of her. 

"Well?" Moody said.

Calypso sat up straight. "Hello, I'm Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. I'm an alien from Mars with a great big hairy tail, blue skin and three nipples. Okay, you all see, it doesn't work?" she said sarcastically. "Call those Aurors off, or they'll probably find themselves walking into a Death Eater training camp Live Fire exercise."

All of a sudden, there was a scraping of chairs as four people leapt up and hurried out of the room. 

__

Well, that got things done.

A bit crude, don't you think?

Oh shut up Virginia. Who asked you?

__

Be nice, now!

"Well." Dumbledore said as the last door slammed shut. "Seeming as Cecil has now got other business to attend to, I'm the senior Auror in the room, so I think I'll chair the meeting."

No-one objected. 

"Now Calypso, you never answered Cecil's first question, did you?" He said gently, and the QuickQuotes Quill scribbled away.

Calypso looked around the table at the eight Aurors and Moody, and saw eyes. Blue, green, hazel, brown … it was all about eyes.

"Well, I guess I left the Death Eaters because … my sister Melody wasn't born blind."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"This is a pretty dress!"

"Hmm, yes it is love." Octavia said as she wrestled the six-year old's blonde hair into plaits. "But remember, it's only a Muggle garment, so you don't want to be seen in Magical Public in it."

"Mine's a prettier colour than yours." Melody observed, swinging her feet.

"Is not!" Calypso protested. "Blue's prettiest!"

"Yellow!"

"Blue!"

"Girls!" Octavia commanded. "Quiet! They're both pretty!"

"Blue." Calypso muttered mutinously under her breath as her mother tied a matching blue bow to the bottom of her wheat-coloured braid. 

"Calypso!" Her mother warned, as Melody stuck her tongue out at her sister. "Melody! Stop playing up! This is important, you know! If Muggles or Muggle-lovers find us staying here, we could fail in our mission!"

Both girls shut up. They knew how important their parents missions were. They were warriors for Lord Voldemort, getting rid of people who helped the Muggles. Exactly what was wrong with Muggles, Melody and Calypso didn't quite know. But that didn't matter, of course. They were both six, and their parents could do no wrong. All they knew was that those people Mum and Dad didn't like were bad people. That needed to be killed.

Calypso squirmed as she waited for Octavia to finish plaiting Melody's hair. They were on the Queensland Coast, staying at a Hotel next to the beach. The area was popular with Wizards and Muggles alike, so it was no wonder that there was a Magical Law Enforcement station just down the road, next to the Muggle Police station. 

"Finished!" Octavia declared, sweeping a curly blonde lock out of her own eyes. "Come on girls, time to go! We'll be running late. Got your wands?"

Both girls nodded, pulling out from the waistbands of their dresses identical wands made from Eucalyptus wood. Melody gave hers a flick, sending a starburst of sparks to the ceiling. 

"DON'T DO THAT!" Octavia yelled. "This is a MUGGLE place! Do you WANT to be caught?"

"Sorry Mum." Melody said quietly, head bowed. 

"Come on, let's go." Octavia breezed out the door, her girls following. 

Octavia locked the hotel room door behind them with her wand, and they took the stairs down to the ground story, where they walked to the Surfer's Paradise magical Law Enforcement station. 

The station was squeezed in between a Surfboard shop and an icecream parlour – both Muggle. Backing onto it was the Muggle Police station. 

Melody and Calypso tugged at their mother's shorts as they walked past the icecream parlour. 

"Pleeeeeezeeeee Mum!" Melody begged.

"It's sooooo hot!" complained Calypso. But Octavia was looking flushed with excitement, even though her voice was calm. 

"No. Not now."

"After?"

"Yes, afterwards. If you kill a Muggle, you can have an icecream."

"And a swim?"

"Yes, but not here, girls. We'll have to leave before the bad people get backups."

"Oh, okay then." The girls were pacified, and trotted along beside their mother quite happily. 

They rounded the street corner and saw sitting at a table, sipping at milkshakes, their father, Kerian, and Lafferty. Octavia drew up the spare chair and sat down, pulling down her sunglasses against the brutal Australian sun. 

"Kerian!" Melody squealed, latching onto the 13-year old boy's leg seconds before Calypso did so. Kerian looked down at the two little girls holding onto his legs like leeches, and ruffled up their hair.

"Hello! Are you in today's raid too?" he asked.

The girls nodded enthuastically. "We're going to go in first." Calypso told him proudly. 

"Good one!" Kerian replied, grinning. "Just like last time, huh?"

"Yes, girls. Just like last time." Cain broke into the conversation. "Last time your were great. Just repeat that again, and we'll have to get you full-sized wands!"

The girls giggled, thinking of trying to wield fifteen-inch wands. 

"Just remember the golden rule-"

"Don't get in the way." The girls droned in unison. 

"Lafferty, is everyone in place?" Octavia asked lazily. 

"Eager and ready to go." Lafferty, a thickset man with a thin beard, replied crisply. 

"Right then, Calypso and Melody can head off now, and … oh, can I have the last of your milkshake, Cain? Thanks … run along then, girls. Kerian will be along after you." Octavia said between sips of milkshake. For Octavia, it was just another day, another raid, more Muggles, Mud-Bloods and other scum to be exterminated…

Calypso grabbed Melody's hand and together they wound through the chattering chaos of pedestrians, dodging tall legs and shoes to reach the steps outside the Law Enforcement station.   
Looking at the glowing letters on the signage, Melody squeezed Calypso's pudgy hand with excitement. 

"You ready?"

"Wait while I get the tears …" 

Calypso dug out of her pocket a tiny pouch, and took a pinch of powder and threw it into her own eyes.

"Do I look cry-y enough?" her face was suddenly pink, splotchy and streaming with tears. 

"You look really cry-y." Melody agreed, and started to walk up the steps and into the station. 

Heart racing, Calypso started to act, letting out big, childish sobs and dragging on her sister's arm as the doors automatically opened in front of them, and Melody walked stoically towards the main reception desk.

"Now there, what's the problem?" a kind voice floated down from the desk. 

Melody just stood there for a few seconds, while Calypso sobbed louder until she was sure the whole department could hear her anguish. "Mum." Melody whispered, and started to cry as well. 

At the sound of two small twin girls, dressed in cute little matching sun frocks and plaited pigtails, crying their hearts out, doors popped open and officers trotted down the hall. 

Eventually Calypso felt herself enveloped by large arms and hoisted into the air. "Don't cry now, love!" a comforting voice said by her ear. "What's wrong?"

Calypso could hear Melody wail, "I WANT MY MUMMY!"

That was the cue.   
Quick as a flash, Calypso whipped her miniature wand out of her waistband and pointed it underneath the Sergeant's chin. 

"Stupefy." She said clearly. 

There was a flash of blinding light, and the man's hold on Calypso went stiff. Raising her arms, Calypso slithered out of his frozen grip and landed neatly on the floor, wand in hand. 

Pointing it to the next officer, she stupefied him as well. 

"What the-" the receptionist's cry of alarm was cut short when a spell hit her in the forehead and she fell, lifeless, in a heap beside Calypso. There was an almighty crash as Kerian, Cain, Lafferty and a few of the other Death Eaters rushed through the entrance, blasting anything that moved. 

Over the screams of tortured and dying officers, Melody crawled over to Calypso and whispered in her ear. 

"If we don't kill any bad people, we won't get an icecream, Cal!"

Calypso had forgotten, too wrapped up in watching the attack. 

"The others are attacking the Muggle station. So if we go to the back of this station…"

The two girls leapt to their feet and, dodging duelling wizards, ran to the end of the corridor, where the fighting was most intense. Sulfurous smoke filled the air, and the metallic tang of blood was rich before they reached the rear wall of the station, where Octavia and Cain both stood, wands pointed at the bricks. 

"REDUCIO!!!!" they both cried together, and with the force of a small explosion, the wall shattered, forming a large hole. 

Calypso and Melody, hearts thumping, followed their parents through the hole and into the back of the Muggle station, where yells and cries of alarm could be heard from different parts of the station. 

"This way." Calypso urged her sister, and the pair dashed off down a hallway and straight into a female police officer. 

"Kids, get out of here right-" she never had a chance to finish. For Calypso had flicked up her wand, pointed it at the woman's chest, and cried the most advanced spell she knew.

"ALAKAZAM!"

Immediately a thunderous lightening bolt ripped through the roof and smashed into the defenseless woman's chest. 

"Calypso! Not fair, you killed the first one last time! It was my turn!" Melody cried indignantly.

Calypso didn't reply because she couldn't. Her breath was stuck in her stomach, and her fingers numb from the force of the spell. Her whole body was trembling, and her brain felt like it too had been struck with lightening. This happened every time she killed someone – it was like all her energy had suddenly seeped into the floorboards, leaving her drained, confused and tearful. She didn't know why, and hid it from her sister and parents – they'd think she was a sissy. 

"Come on!" Melody cried, stamping her foot. "If I don't kill one, I won't get an icecream!" Melody took off down the corridor, stopping as a man in a blue uniform came running around the corner, his skin blistering. 

Melody pointed her wand at him, but before she could curse him he scooped her to his chest and kept running. Dazed, Calypso found herself grabbed and being carried through the winding corridors of the station. 

Suddenly, they hit a fire escape door that crashed open. Gasping, the man dumped them down outside. 

"Girls, run and get help." He moaned with pain. "There are bad, bad, evil people here hurting and killing innocent -" he didn't have a chance to say another word.

"SERVARAS OCULUS!" a deep voice boomed from the doorway. To her horror, Calypso watched the flash of light leap from Monahan's wand and hit the man in the chest…

but not before it hit her sister, who had been plonked on the ground in front of him.

Melody shrieked and clasped her hands to her face, while the man did the same. Calypso stumbled to her feet as Monahan unconcernedly stepped over Melody to reach the man. 

"Why did you run away? I hadn't finished yet!" Monahan sneered at the sightless man. "Reducio!"

Calypso grabbed Melody's arm and dragged her back through the doorway, the man's tortured screams following them. Many times she had seen Monahan play with his victims like a cat with a mouse, but never had she been so close. 

Feeling dizzy, she dragged the screeching Melody back through the blood-slicked carpeted halls of the Police Station and to the hold in the wall. Something was wrong with her stomach, and as she pulled Melody through the gap, she knew what it was. Abandoning Melody, who was rolling around with pain, Calypso staggered to a corner and threw up her breakfast. 

An hand on her back made her jump.

"Calypso?" Kerian asked. 

A wave of relief swept through her body. "Kerian! Oh, Kerian, there's something wrong with Melody! She got hit!"

Kerian ran over to Melody's body and heaved it over his shoulder. "C'mon, Cal!" he yelled and set off down the passage. 

The rest of the day was a blur to Calypso. She could remember Kerian's mother, a Dark Mediwitch, looking into Melody's eyes, and declaring her blind. 

She could also remember the new, awful thoughts whirling around her head – maybe Mum and Dad were wrong? Were those people the good ones? They always tried to save her and her sister when the fighting started … tried to comfort them when they were 'crying' … and that man's last words, about bad people attacking …

But the thing she remembered most was her mother's disdainful look when she was told about Melody's eyes.

"I told them to stay out of the way." She said.

Calypso never got her ice cream.

************************************************************

##########################################

To all you reviewers – YOU ARE ANGELS!!!!!!! Two of note – Pedagouge, who reviewed every single chapter as she read, and Greta, who writes huge reviews like my chapters are meaningful pieces of art. ;-) 

So thank you for reading all this!!!!!! 

Now, there are 2 more chapters to go – promise! Next one will be out sometime soon, it's already about quarter done. 

Now, I BEG YOU – review! Make my millenium !!!!!!!!! A few words, sentences if you are feeling generous. Nothing lifts my day like a message from ff.net saying I have a new review. (simple things amuse simple people, yes)

So REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	16. The Joys of Floo Travel and Truth Serum

I'm so so so sorry about how late this is! 

This has been a very long time coming, I know, and thanks for sticking with me. But the next (and final!) chapter will be out before Feb. 15, because that's the day I retire from writing.

Once again, oodles of praise to my totally loyal, dependable beta-reader, Allylupin. You rock! 

Lupin's Lair Chapter 16 – The Joys of Floo Travel and Truth Serum

*

Calypso rubbed her eyes and gave an impressive sigh. "Look, I've told you before – I DON'T know the passwords to the Portkeys!"

It was late at night, and rain lashed the only window in the Auror Boardroom.

"Then who does?" Cecil demanded, his jowls wobbling.

"Monahan. Him and my parents, and that's all."

"Well that's no good to us! He won't talk, and if Veratiserum won't work, what are we going to do?" An elderly witch with pince-nez moaned despondently, and looked about her fellow Auror Board members for suggestions. 

"Torture's out of the question, sadly enough." A Warlock grizzled.

"Could we tempt him with immunity from prosecution?"

"Bribery, perhaps?" Suggestions rolled around the table, and heads leaned inwards to discuss the finer points.

Calypso leaned back on her chair. "How many times do I have to tell you – it won't work! He's a die-hard Death Eater! It's unthinkable for one of our Tribe to betray the rest!"

"Apart from you, of course." A balding wizard sneered.

"Which is exactly the reason I got away with it!" Calypso snarled back suddenly, jumping to her feet, eyes flashing. "Look, if you're not going to listen to what I have to say, why the hell am I here?"

"Calypso!" Moody barked, grabbing her by the back of her robes and yanking her back into her seat unceremoniously. 

"I'm sorry if we seem ungrateful, Miss Grey," Dumbledore spoke from the other end of the oval table. "What you have told us about the Death Eaters and your futuretelling Dreams has been of great interest, and we are in your debt."

Calypso squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "Sorry."

Moody leaned over. "I think we'll have to do something about that temper of yours." He murmured in her ear, and Calypso bit her lip. Her patience, normally very short, had been eroded by the hours of questions about her time with the Australasian Death Eater tribe. The Quick-Quotes Quill on the table beside Cecil's elbow had gone through two stacks of parchment, and was still scribbling furiously away. She had answered questions ranging from the Death Eater's favorite kinds of food, favorite curses and sleeping habits to antidotes, new curses, Portkey passwords, political currents and possible targets. The last three Calypso didn't have a clue about. 

Calypso's weakest point (apart from her temper, patience levels and absolute pig-headedness) was her naiveity when it came to politics. Hostile takeovers, allegiances, innuendoes and general wheeling and dealing went straight over her head.

When she had told the Auror Board all about her Dreams, and particularly the one where Azkaban and Hogwarts were sandcastles and fell to pieces, she became vaguely aware of some sort of unspoken argument between Cecil and a stringy witch with sharp eyes. Most board members were convinced that the line in the dream 'one will fall' meant that the Aurors would have to sacrifice one stronghold in order to save the other one. Cecil argued that Azkaban should fall and Hogwarts should be protected. The witch was of the opinion that Hogwarts, simply a school, was not nearly as important as a Wizarding Jail containing dangerous Death Eaters. Calypso unintentionally broke up the argument by pointing out that both castles could possibly fall – the dream just said that one defiantly would. 

"So do you have any idea where else we can find out the Portkey passwords?" another witch asked after the Board members had finished giving Calypso dirty looks. 

"No. Unless there's been a new Truth Serum invented in the last fifteen years or so that we can give to Monahan." Calypso looked around hopefully. 

"Zilch." A wizard answered, and the faces around the table looked very long. Apart from Calypso's, which was frozen in look of sudden comprehension, her mouth in a small 'o'.

"What?" Dumbledore asked.

"I just though…" Calypso said slowly, eyes large, "the Death Eaters didn't bother to add wards against Muggles when they Wizard-proofed their accommodation, so I was thinking that they'd…" she trailed off, staring at the ceiling. 

"What?"

Calypso gave a dreamy smile. "I have an idea that may well work. If you don't mind robbing a hospital."

*

"This feels wrong." Neil said to Maria as they turned the corner and pushed the swinging doors open. 

"The means justifies the end, so they say, Dr. Johnson," Maria said back as a nurse in a white uniform gave them a small nod. "But still, stealing from a Muggle hospital isn't something I'll put in my resume." 

"Left here." Neil said, and, white coats flapping around their knees, the pair power-walked importantly past a sign that read 'STAFF ONLY'. Further down the hospital corridor a stainless steel door was set into the wall, equipped with a heavy deadbolt and electronic keypad. 

"Looks like this is it." Maria breathed, reading the large sign printed on the door. DRUG STOREROOM. Neil marched straight up to the keypad and, whipping his wand from one of the deep pockets on his labcoat, prodded the electronic device. The keypad gave a chirp, and there was a click. _"Alohomora."_ Neil whispered to the deadbolt, and there was a satisfying clunk as the bolt retreated and the door creaked open. 

"After you." He said as Maria slipped through.

Inside the storeroom, the air was dry and had a peculiar taste that tickled the back of the throat. Maria coughed as Neil flicked on the lights, and the interior of the room was lit up in a dazzling fashion. Stainless steel gleamed and bottles glowed ominously from their alphabetical positions on the shelves.

"S, s, s, s, s, sa, se, se, se……." Maria whispered as she trotted around the shelves, reading the labels on the containers. 

"No need to whisper." Neil remarked as he relocked the door. 

"Here it is!" Maria said. "How much did she say she needed?"

"She didn't."

Maria frowned. "A big bottle will be missed more than a small one, but we don't want to take too little."

"It's your call."

"This one, then." Maria plucked a 50mL bottle off the shelf and dropped it into her coat pocket. "Have you got the rest?"

Neil looked up, still pulling a handful of sterile hypodermic syringes out from a large box. "I've got needles, syringes and alcohol swabs. What else do we need?"

"Sticky plasters. Here, I've got them."

Maria grinned wickedly at Neil. "You know, this is almost fun."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Neil replied as he unlocked the door and they slipped out.

*

"Here you go." Maria said proudly, plonking the glass bottle on the table in front of Calypso.

"Oh, fanks!" she murmured, her mouth full of fried rice. While waiting for Maria and Neil to get back from the hospital, the Board had decided to adjourn for dinner. The weather outside had worsened and the temperature was unusually low for summer, but inside the Auror HQ the temperature was cozy. 

"Exactly what is this Muggle stuff?" Dumbedore asked, summoning the bottle across the table. "Sodium Pentobarbital." He read off the label.

"It's a very crude Muggle Truth Serum. Totally out of date now, but still does the job."

"How does it work?"

"It's an anesthetic."

"How is knocking Monahan out going to help us find the passwords for the Portkeys?"

"I'm not going to knock him out, you idiot." Calypso said crossly. "You just give them enough so they feel all doped up. It's a Barbital, you see – they are a family of sedative and hypnotic drugs. What happens is they forget all about consequences and just babble away." She looked quite smug. "That's exactly what you want, isn't it? Give Monahan some of this and he'll ramble on about whatever topic you ask him."

Maria moved uncomfortably. "How much is 'some'?" she asked.

Calypso shrugged. "I'm not the doctor."

Neil and Maria, both MediWizards, exchanged uncertain glances. Suddenly a smooth voice glided nastily over the boardroom. 

"And how do we know that this Serum is going to work?" It was Snape. Where he had appeared from, no-one knew, but every face in the boardroom showed that they wished he would go away. 

Seeming oblivious to the hostile aura in the boardroom, Snape stalked over to stand next to Dumbledore's shoulder. With long cream fingers, he deftly plucked the bottle of Serum off the table, and began toying with it in his hands. 

"You see," he began, "if I were Mr. Monahan-"

Faces in the Boardroom reflected the unspoken comment that was on the tip of all their tongues – Snape and Monahan had many things in common.

"-and this Serum did not work, it would be a simple matter to feed my interrogators mis-information, while pretending to be under the influences of this drug." Snape twirled the small glass bottle on the tip of his finger. "How, I ask you, will we know how much Serum to administrate without killing Mr. Monahan?"

A rumble of agreement rolled around the boardroom, and worried faces stared at the little bottle. Calypso felt totally deflated – it was the only good idea she had, and Slimy Snape had crushed it.

"You have another suggestion, Severus?" Dumbledore said, breaking the melancholy silence.

Calypso really didn't care for Snape's crocodile smile as he looked at her. 

"We have sitting in front of us the perfect Guinea Pig."

It took Calypso a few bewildered seconds to realize what he was saying.

"Oh no, no no. No you don't!!!" she cried to a room full of people who had mostly made their minds up already.

"Ms. Grey," Snape continued, "I don't think you have any choice. We have to work out how much the drug to give, and see if it will work."

Calypso shook her head belligerently. "No."

"Then we won't use it." Maria said quietly. "Calypso, unless we test it out on you, it's too dangerous."

After thinking for a while, Calypso relented. "Okay." She said mildly, surprising everyone, who had expected her to argue for the next few hours – at least.

Ordinarily, she would have stuck her toes in and refused to have any needle of any name, shape or description come near her. But Calypso had been thinking about a dream she had a few weeks back, one that involved cartoon characters shooting apples off the top of her head. One of those characters had represented Snape. And Calypso's sense of logic told her that if her dream self had let Snape shoot apples off her head, then in comparison having Snape trying Truth Serum out on her wasn't that bad.

So biting her lip, she stuck her arm out for Maria and tried to ignore the roaring butterflies in her stomach.

*

"So, did it work?"

"Oh yes." Moody replied, his face twisted into a satisfied grin. "Maria and Neil and going to dose Monahan tomorrow morning. We'll nail the bastards."

"What did you ask me?" Calypso said sleepily to Moody as they walked out of the Boardroom and down the long, twisting corridors. 

"All sorts of things." Moody replied with a slight chuckle. 

"I don't like the sound of that." Calypso warned him.

"Oh don't worry, lassie. We asked you things like your name, address and telephone number, and all the stuff we asked before about the Death Eaters, to check if you were lying."

"And?"

"And what?" 

"Why were you chuckling?"

"Oh, you managed to insult most of the Board members. And embarrass yourself quite horribly."  


"Moody!" Calypso said, horrified. "What did I say?"

Moody snorted into his hand. "I dare not repeat it."

Calypso looked daggers at him. "I hate you." 

"No you don't. You think I'm a grouchy, difficult, paranoid old bugger but I'm okay to get along with even though I read soft-porn, don't own any pets and have doorknobs that try to eat arms." 

Calypso turned bright pink from her neck to her ears. 

"The _Warlock_ magazines aren't mine, by the way, they were my son's. But apart from that, I think it's a remarkably accurate description of me." Moody said with a straight face. 

"Oh no." Calypso groaned. "What else did I say?"

"Let me say that those you didn't insult found it all quite entertaining."

"Perhaps it's better if I didn't know, then."

"I'd have to agree."

"Interesting meeting." Moody said reflectively. "I thought for a moment that Eliza was going to come out and challenge Cecil for leadership. But then you said something and it simmered down."

"What? When?" Calypso asked, confused.

Moody sighed. "That was a very politically charged meeting. Didn't you notice? Interesting that Rachel sided with Cecil on that issue, though….thought she was favoring old Brian…..but he's supporting Cecil….."

"Moody, I behaved, didn't I?" Calypso cut in sweetly to Moody's political pondering. 

"Sort of." Moody grunted back.

"You promised that if I behaved we could go to Remus' place after the meeting."

"It's past 11PM!"

"I don't care!"

"Remus might!"

"Oh come on! Please! Pretty pretty pretty please!"

Moody looked at Calypso with a disturbing smile. "On one condition. You tell me how on earth you got those horrible scars on your cheek and brow."

Calypso stared at Moody, stunned. "Oh…your magic eye…it'd see through the Concealing Charm…." She mumbled, nearly tripping over the floor rug. She ran a finger over the grooves in her face. "I'd love to say they're a sign of some Prophecy that I'm the one that will save the world from the forces of evil or something equally impressive, but that'd be lying." She said ruefully. "I got these from a rather nasty car crash that I was in when I was sixteen."

Moody raised his eyebrows. "How disappointing! I was looking forward to hearing a good yarn." 

They walked into the Floo Room, and a Junior Ministry Official in standard maroon robes greeted them.

"Meeting finished late, Mr. Moody?" he said as Calypso yawned.

"Don't they all?" Moody said, taking a pinch of powder from an urn and tossing it into the huge pyre that sat in the middle of the room. "Lupin's Lair!" he called as he stepped into the bright green fire. 

Calypso watched Moody spin and then disappear in the flames, and felt vaguely sick. The Truth Serum had eventually knocked her out for a short while, and her mind was sluggish. It seemed to take things a long time to register with her, and there was a noticeable delay between touching something and feeling it. 

Taking a pinch of powder, she thought for a second that maybe it wasn't a good idea to travel by Floo Powder while still under the effects of an anaesthetic. You weren't supposed to drive cars or operate heavy machinery for 48 hours after taking the drug, but stupidly, she dismissed the notion that traveling by Floo was much more dangerous than driving a car, and threw the powder into the flames. 

Stepping into them, she realized it felt like ghostly fingers tickling her legs. "Lupin's Lair!" she said quickly, and the world swirled into chaos. 

It was like the most horrible drug-induced trip Calypso had been on. Her vision surged, images flashing on her mind hard and fast, sounds disembodied and echoing. There was a sickening sensation of falling, and she could feel nothing. The blood seemed to rush to her head, and her stomach gave a troubled squish. One thought flashed clearly through her drug-addled brain. 

Get off. Now.

And so she stepped forward, and fell.

And landed on a pile of ashes. 

*

Dumbledore was brushing his teeth when Moody's head popped up in the fireplace. 

"Dumbledore, that meeting we are having tomorrow with Calypso to discuss Divination-y stuff?" he asked frantically.

"Yes?" Dumbledore replied, taking his orange toothbrush out of his mouth and looking at Moody's head with concern.

"We may have to cancel it." Moody said in a shaking voice, his magical eye darting around in his head.

Dumbledore frowned. "Why?"

"Because Calypso is lost somewhere in the Floo network!"

*

A rather stunned Calypso got up off the ground, where she had lain for a few minutes after landing and throwing up fried rice all over the ground, the rain drenching her back. 

A horrible feeling descended into the pit of her now-empty stomach as she looked around. 

The magical grate she had fallen out of was about the most intact thing in what was left of the house. Even it's metal bars were agonizingly twisted and warped, half-buried in charcoal and muddy ash. 

It had been a fairly substantial house despite its strange location – smack bang in the middle of a dense forest. The wispy, dank fog that sat around the clearing glowed fluorescent green due to the magical Wards, giving the scene a rather surreal, creepy feeling that chilled the soul. Trees towered ominously above Calypso, their dark silhouettes swaying in the wind that whistled breathily. It was still raining, and Calypso took a few disbelieving steps over charred tiles and beams to stand in the middle of the fire-gutted ruins in front of the fire grate. There was no way a fire, magical or no, would ever be lit in it ever again. 

"Oh no." She said over the pelting rain. "I'm in trouble now."

*

"One more round." Ben begged.

Dmitri looked at his opponent in helplessness. "But you have already lost everything!" he pleaded. Indeed, while the table in front of Dmitri was stacked with peanuts, there was only a scattering of salt and smears of oil by Ben.

Will had long since withdrawn from the game of cards, due to eating all his betting peanuts. Phillip was out on duty, Charmaine was sleeping and Fleur was still off-duty due to her injury and was lugging her trunk down the stairs. The next morning Charmaine, Fleur, Will, Dmitri and Phillip were all moving to Hogwarts – to take up their new positions as Student Teachers. 

"Ben, I think it's time you gave in, old chap." Will remarked from beside the crackling fireplace, looking up from his book which was now smeared in peanut oil, much to Fleur's disdain, as it was her book he was reading. 

Ben shook his head. "No, I have a good feeling about this next round." He said proudly, and it was with a sigh that Dmitri shuffled the pack of cards again. 

The hostel the ex-Phoenix apprentices were lodging in was comfortable and homely, with a sprawling lounge and huge fireplace. There were twelve Junior Aurors at this particular hostel, and all got on well enough, despite many of the males scrapping over Fleur's attentions.

"Boyz!" she would mutter, turning on her heel and walking away from the brief fights. "Idiots, all!"

Fleur had been remarkably down-to-earth since being kidnapped by the Death Eaters and then rescued by Sirius and Calypso. She was itching to get back on active duty like the rest of the Juniors, but had another two days to go until the MediWizard from St. Mungo's would give her clearance. 

The others, however, wished for a day off. The Aurors had been run ragged, and things were getting worse. 

So it was with much surprise that Phillip's head appeared in the fireplace, making Will jump and Dmitri knock over his peanut stacks. 

"Phillip!" Will exclaimed. "What's up? Are you coming back early?"

"No…such…luck. You'd…never…guess…what's happened." Phillip panted, eyes bright with excitement. 

"We don't know, tell us!" Fleur demanded.

"Ben, your… girlfriend-"

"Calypso? I'm not quite sure if she's still my girlfriend seeing as w-"

"-is lost in… the Floo network."

There was an incredulous silence.

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not joking. HQ requests that you ….all Apparate to Floo Central immed…iately for a search." Phillip's head hurriedly vanished from the fireplace, and the Junior Aurors looked around desperately.

"Lost in the Floo Network? There's over 12 000 fireplaces connected to the Floo Network!"

"I heard this story about a little boy who got lost and they never found him."

"And just look at that weather!"

*

Calypso shuddered violently and wrapped her arms tightly around her sodden torso. Her lightweight cotton robes clung to her body wetly as more cold rain lashed the ruins. Huddled under a large forbidding tree, she started to sniffle. 

This, she had worked out, must be the Petchell house, where the Death Eaters were ambushed a few days earlier thanks to her tip-off. Huge chunks were ripped out of the trees where hexes and curses had gone astray, and there was a few craters littering the ground. The magical wards were the biggest problem for Calypso – there was no way she could light a fire, magical or Muggle. She was horribly cold and had been for the past five-and-a-half hours since she had landed.

The rain wasn't that bad, she admitted – it was the wind that was the killer. Howling around the trees it stripped any trace of warmth from her body and left her teeth chattering. 

"B-b-b-b-bloody w-w-wards!" she muttered miserably as lightening raced overhead. It was about four in the morning, and Calypso had only managed a few wink's sleep. She had occupied herself in long detailed reflection about her life so far. 

I will never complain about anything ever again if I get out of here alive, she had though, tears welling up in her eyes. If I get out of here…..if I get out of here…

*

The rat was back at Azkaban. 

It was scampering down the narrow, dripping, dim ducts that provided the ventilation to the cells – a perfect highway for small rodents. With every fourth step, there was a clank as the rat's silver paw hit the ground. As the rat scurried around a corner, the silver paw, which was covered in something dark and wet, skidded out from under its fat body and the rat squeaked with annoyance. 

It stopped, and reluctantly started licking the human blood off the paw before continuing.

*

At about half past five in the morning, the storm was still raging, but there was a huge change that lifted Calypso's wet spirits. The Magical Wards died. Delighted, she stiffly got up off the muddy ground and dragged a broken branch under her tree. Collapsing beside it, she faced the palm of her hand towards the bough and frowned, trying to concentrate, which was hard when rivulets of water were streaming down her face. 

"Dammit!" she growled through chattering teeth. "Burn!" 

After ten minutes, nothing had happened, and Calypso burst into helpless tears. 

__

Change shape, Calypso! You'll be warmer as a wolf.

__

Virginia? Calypso sobbed. _Oh god am I glad to hear from you!!! I'm so cold and wet and lost-_

__

Just change shape!

Calypso lay on the ground and closed her eyes, trying desperately to muster the concentration to change shape. 

*

Being an Animagus had been possibly the biggest waste of time and effort in her life. It had taken two months of study and preparation, danger and sacrifice, and in the end she had turned into a Wolf. 

__

"Bloody useless." She had grumbled to Melody. "What use is being a Wolf in a country where there are no wolves? Besides, Wolves would be shot on sight anyway."

"I'm sure it'll be useful in time." Ben had consoled her. "Look at me, I'm a Tiger! You can pass your animal off as a dog or a dingo – try a Tiger!"

Admittedly, Ian as a Lion, Gary as a Camel and Ashleigh as a horse weren't very useful Animagus shapes to have. But Malcolm had become a Elephant Seal, Renee a cat, Jared a Magpie and Melody was a Hawk. 

How ironic that the blind girl had become a keen-sighted harrier. 

"At least we are all large and predator-ish!" Ashleigh had pointed out. "Imagine being a rabbit or a fly or a mouse!"

"Or a Weta!" Ben sniggered, thinking of his boss. 

  
Wolf-shape had been useful in a couple of occasions on the farm, though. It was much easier to run in Wolf-shape, and lacking working dogs, she could round up the sheep herself. And best of all, there was nothing like having fur. 

So it was with relief that Calypso felt her veins tingling like her blood was filled with lemonade, and suddenly the night lit up as she had Wolf night vision. Suddenly she felt warmer – still wet, but faintly warm. Exhaustion hit her like a sack of bricks, and Calypso the Wolf curled up tightly into a ball of grey fur at the base of the tree. Within a few minutes she was off to sleep.

*

Moody apparated into the clearing with Amos Diggory, wands ready. 

"Say," Amos said, looking around at the charred wreckage of the house, "isn't this where…"

"Yeah." Moody said as they quickly scanned the perimeter. "Bit of a mess, isn't it?"

"I can't find any sign of a fireplace." Amos called over the rain from where he was rooting around in the ruins. 

"No fireplace, no Floo Connection." Moody replied. "She won't be here."

"Let's go, then. We've got another few hundred fires to check."

Amos was about to Apparate out when Moody's quick hiss of indrawn breath halted him.

"Amos! Look over there! Under the tree at two o'clock!"

Diggory turned around sharply, and scanned the treeline until he saw what Moody was talking about. Curled up in a tight ball was a Wolf – or maybe a dog. 

"What do you think?" Amos said cautiously. "Can't be a Werewolf – full moon was two weeks ago."

"Dog. Large, hairy and asleep. How about we leave it that way?" Moody said as a dismissal. "Sorry for getting you worried. Let's go."

With a pop the pair of Aurors Apparated out of the remote clearing, while the Wolf twitched in her sleep. She was sure she had heard voices…… 

*

"It's all my fault."

Melody laid a gentle hand on the old man's shoulder. "No, Mr. Moody, it's no-one's fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's Cal's. She knew the dangers of taking drugs better than anyone else, and knew the possible pitfalls of Floo Travel. Don't beat yourself up for an accident."

"I was supposed to be responsible for her. And look what's happened!" Moody said despondently to Moody's kitchen table.

Remus' house was the center of the search and the kitchen was the nucleus. At least two people could always be found in the kitchen, crossing off Floo Ports, grabbing a quick bite from the friendly Fridge and sometimes friendly Pantry, and collecting a new list of Ports to check.

The door to the kitchen was flung open and a very wet and rather muddy ragged pair of Junior Aurors stumbled through the door.

"Gudday 'Ria, Mel." Ben said tiredly as Aria leapt up to hug him, mud and all.   
"Found her yet?" Aria demanded, and Ben shook his head. "Don't worry, you will. I know it."

Maria gave a sad smile. "I'd like to think positive as well, but it's been over 48 hours so far and we've not seen hide nor hair of her."

"And that weather hasn't let up. She was only wearing Suzy's old cotton robes…" Moody said quietly. 

"You will find her." Aria repeated confidently. "I was right when you all said she was dead and she wasn't."

"True." Remus noted.

Phillip, who was if possible, wetter and muddier than Ben, approached the kitchen table, a turkey sandwich in one hand and a chunk of cake in the other (courtesy of a most obliging Fridge and Pantry). "What's the news?" he asked.

"Nothing much." Remus spoke up. "We've got another 500 Floo Ports to check, but Arabella Figg has come down with the flu and has gone home to bed. Which means we've only got 39 people searching now."

"Can't you get more?" Melody asked.

Moody shook his head. "No, lass. Calypso's identity is supposed to be kept a secret, otherwise we would."

"And there's been no sign of her." Maria confirmed. 

Moody snorted. "Some of those Floo Ports are deserted. Diggory and I even saw a big wild dog at one."

"Wild dog?" Ben repeated, shooting a quick look at Melody. She too, was just as interested.

"Yeah, a shaggy grey thing. Thought it was a Wolf for a second." Moody chuckled briefly. "Scared the bejesus out of me for a few minutes, it did."

Ben tried his best not to look too excited. "Wow, how freaky. Where did you see this dog?"

"The old Petchell House. You know, the one you Aurors ambushed the Death Eaters at?"

*

Ben, after careful consultation with Apparamaps, Apparated into the remains of the Petchell House, and instantly tripped over the crumbled remains of a brick wall. 

Getting to his feet in the drizzle, he pushed his black hair out of his eyes and looked around at the gloomy scene, aware that his palms were grazed and brick dust was impregnated in the wounds. 

"Calypso?" he called into the fog. 

There was no answer, though his voice rang eerily off the tall pines. 

Hope the old man wasn't seeing things, Ben thought as he picked his way out of the rubble and to a spot of level ground. He took a breath and within an instant, had easily transformed into a rangy orange and black striped Sumatran Tiger. 

His Animagus shape didn't have many practical every-day applications, but in cases of emergency it was brilliant. One whiff of the air told him that Calypso had been here. 

Her scent, human and wolf, wound around the clearing and zigzagged through the trees in a hopeless tangle. Ben leapt onto the freshest scent and with lithe Tiger-legs springing him through the undergrowth, bounded along the trail, dodging raindrops easily. 

After about half an hour, he was beginning to feel worried. The trail wandered aimlessly through the forest in no particular direction, and on occasions doubled back on itself. He stepped up the pace.

A few minutes later he nearly stepped on Calypso. She had collapsed where she had stood, Wolf-legs too weak to hold her up anymore. With a pop Ben transformed back into his human shape and knelt on the sodden ground beside the shivering wet ball of grey fur. 

"Cal!" he barked into her ear as he shook her. "Cal! C'mon, wake up!" 

The wolf sneezed, and shuddered some more. Ben dragged his wand out of his pocket, and tapped the wolf on the head with it. There was a blinding flash of light, and the wolf squirmed on the ground, lengthened and changed color to become a drenched, hypothermic, hungry Calypso.   
  
"Cal, you okay?" Ben demanded, placing a hand on her forehead. It was burning hot while her hands were numb. 

Suddenly Calypso blinked blue-grey eyes. "B-B-B-B-Ben!" she said, teeth chattering. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm your Knight in Shining Armor." He said jovially, suddenly filled with warm relief. He slid an arm around her shoulders and heaved her to her unsteady feet.

"Bollocks." 

"Nice to know you've kept your sense of humor!"

"I thought I was d-d-d-d-d-dying." She replied, staggering. Ben hugged her frozen body. 

"Not yet." He replied. "Just sick." He pointed his wand to a small bush. "Incendo!' he said, and the wet bush leapt merrily into flames. 

"So cold." Calypso whispered.

"Don't worry, we'll have that sorted in a tic." Ben replied as he took a pinch of powder from his pocket and threw it into the blazing bush. "I know you aren't supposed to travel in pairs by Floo, but I can't see any other way I'm going to get you out of here in your current state."

Calypso sneezed. 

  
"Here we go." Ben muttered nervously, dragging Calypso over so they both stood in the green-burning bush. "Lupin's Lair!"

*

It was four days later when Maria placed a large bowl of soup in front of Calypso, and sat down at the kitchen table to watch her eat. 

Calypso tentatively took a sip of the soup, and spat it out.

"Eerugh!!!! Maria, you overdid the salt slightly!" she said, gulping her tea. 

Maria nodded. "On purpose. You've had a fever for four days now, and you've sweated an awful lot. I've got to replace all the liquids and salts you've lost."

Calypso pulled a face and started drinking the super-salty soup. "Where is everyone?" she asked between slurps. 

"Oh, Remus and Sirius are out at work. Harry's back at Hogwarts, and I'm here."

"And I'm here too!" Fridge piped up.

Pantry made a derisive noise that could be described as rolling her eyes, if Pantry had eyes. 

"Maria," Calypso spoke up hesitantly as she toyed with a spoonful of soup, "why does Pantry hate me so much?"

Maria gave a huge, evil grin. "Pantry," she said in a carrying voice, "has a huge crush on Sirius." 

Calypso gaped at Maria, and then swivelled around to stare at Pantry, who had frozen in shock. 

"N….n…..n…..that's soooo not true!!!!" Pantry stuttered in a high pitch.

Calypso broke into peals of laughter, and Pantry switched from embarrassed to furious. 

"Frikking bullshit!" Pantry screamed. "You're just jealous!"

"That," Maria continued with perverse delight, "is why Pantry harasses any unattached female who could possibly steal Sirius' heart."

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" Pantry was slamming her doors open and shut, and was becoming quite dangerous. 

Maria and Calypso moved to the Lounge so Pantry could continue her tantrum in isolation.

Maria had, however, forced Calypso to take her bowl of horrible soup with her, and so Calypso sat on one couch studying her bowl while Maria draped herself across another purple two-seater. 

Calypso decided to appease Maria by drinking the soup. She did so by taking the bowl in both hands and sculling. 

"Disgusting." Maria noted.

"Yes, I told you it was too salty." Calypso replied, rubbing her mouth on her sleeve. 

"No, I meant drinking your soup like that."

Maria stared at Calypso analytically, and Calypso felt like she was being x-rayed. 

"You know Calypso, you should stop avoiding Remus." Maria said calmly.

Calypso froze. "Erm…..ugg….no I'm not!" she said feebly. 

Maria rolled her eyes. "Please, Calypso, stop acting like I'm stupid! Of course you are avoiding Remus! I'd probably be worried if you weren't!"

Calypso made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat.

"You've suddenly discovered that Remus is your uncle." Maria continued. "You don't know how to act around him. He's gone from being a friend and a workmate to being a close long-lost relative. To top it all off, Remus is desperate to ask you about your father, and you are desperate to forget. Why wouldn't you want to avoid him?"

"You know what, Maria?" Calypso grumbled. "Sometimes you are just too smart for your own good."

Maria ignored her rude reply. "Just follow a bit of advice, Calypso – stop pushing him – and Sirius, for that matter – away."

Calypso thought that was the end of the interrogation, but she was wrong.

"Calypso," Maria started, "what did you tell your sisters yesterday?"

Calypso stared at the dregs in the bottom of her bowl. "What do you mean?" she replied innocently.

"I mean, what did you say to your sisters that made them pack up and fly back to Australia, a week before they planned to?"

Cringing, Calypso peeked at Maria. The older woman had a frosty expression. 

"Oh. Was it that obvious?"

Maria gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Calypso, it was!"

As Calypso didn't reply, Maria decided to air her assumptions. 

"My guess is that you've had some nasty predictions, and told your sisters to get to somewhere safe. Now that isn't a problem, Calypso. The problem is that you haven't told any of the Aurors! You are supposed to be working with us."

Calypso bit her lip guiltily. "You don't understand-"

"What I do understand is that you have got yourself into an awful lot of hot water by not telling people things!" Maria softened. "Trust me for a second."

"I do trust you, Maria." Calypso replied, frustrated. "It's just that I really can't tell you some things."

"Why?"

"It's complicated. You might accidentally do something that starts a horrible chain reaction."

Maria frowned, but didn't press the matter.

"But there are some things I can tell you, and that I need help with."

Maria cocked her head. "Fire away."

Calypso dumped the bowl on the floor. "When I was feverish, I had a lot of dreams." She begun earnestly. "Some of them were just ordinary dreams, and some were predictions. They're the ones I can't tell you about."

"Then what can you tell me?"

"There were some dreams…" Calypso frowned, making wrinkles in her brow. "…that were different. They didn't tell me what was going to happen, they told me _what I have to do_. Only I can't quite understand them."

"Describe them." Maria commanded, and Calypso took a deep breath. 

"The first one was quite straightforward…

That was as far as Calypso got, because at the moment the fire spluttered to life, and Remus' head was in it.

"Hello Rem-"

"Maria! Niece! We have a serious problem." He said in a frantic whisper.

"What? Why?" Maria asked, wondering why Remus was referring to Calypso as 'niece', instead of by her name. 

"Read this." He murmured grimly, and held up in front of his face the front page of the Daily Prophet.

__

Death Eaters Captured, Killed

Daily Prophet sources inside the Ministry have confirmed that they have in custody a known Australasian Death Eater who is responsible for the tragic massacre at Frankton Park last week. Named as a Mr. L Monahan, the Death Eater has named his fellow Death Eaters and betrayed…….

"Yes, very interesting Remus, but how is this a problem?" Calypso asked. 

Maria silently pointed to a paragraph down the bottom of the paper. There was a mug shot of Calypso, and an article.

__

One down, many to go.

Teen Death Eater Calypso Grey was pronounced dead at the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies Morgue shortly after taking part in the Frankton Park Massacre. 19 year old Calypso is accredited with over 11 murders during Voldemort's reign, and was L Monahan's female accomplice at Frankton Park, aiding in the murder of 9 Muggles and 3 Aurors before kidnapping a young female and hijacking a car. 

Cause of Death is not known, but…….

Calypso's jaw dropped. How on earth had the paper known that she had been a Death Eater? It was her biggest secret, and she knew it was Alpha 1 Classified Information. It was supposed to remain classified!

"OH SHIT!"

"We tried to stop it, but the paper was already printed and out on the shelves." Remus rushed. "By then it'd look suspicious if we acted. Damn Rita Skeeter!" he growled. 

"They haven't got anything right, though." Maria noted, reading the whole article thoroughly. "She was pronounced dead before Frankton Park, for starters."

"Worry about that later!" Remus interrupted. "You two, get here now!"

"Why?" Maria asked, but Remus glanced over his shoulder, indicating someone was there. It must be a public fireplace, she though. 

"The Aurors are freezing any bank accounts that have links with the Death Eaters. Including Calypso's." he whispered.

Calypso was panicking. "No! I can't go to Diagon Alley! People will see me!"

Remus seemed to have things organised. "Maria, listen. Crouch's invisibility cloak is in the top of the wardrobe in my room. Put that on my niece and Floo here right now!." And with that, Remus' head dissolved and the fire went out. 

Calypso sat on the floor in stunned silence while Maria raced to get the cloak. 

__

If there is a God, he or she obviously hates me, she though. _No matter what I do, things turn to custard! And just as everything seemed to be working itself out, things like this happened! _

"Move move move!" Maria barked, scooping Calypso to her feet and lighting the fire in one fluid movement. Calypso took the invisibility cloak off Maria and threw it around her shoulders while Maria took a pinch of Floo Powder from a box on the mantelpiece.

"Diagon Alley!" Maria cried, and rather apprehensively, Calypso followed suit.

*

If the Goblins at Gringotts though it was strange that Remus took his dog to the bank, they didn't show it. After all, he was a customer, and customers were entitled to do perfectly illogical things. Like insist that there was an empty seat on the cart that took them to vault 389. 

And then empty that vault. 

And then deposit it all into another vault.

And then bribe the Chief Goblin into taking his name off the records.

After all, work was work, business was business, and money was money.

The Goblins understood it all when Aurors came ten minutes later and froze a large number of accounts. One of those accounts had been vault 389, issed to Miss C. Grey.

*

Calypso was having a hard time working her way through the tightly-woven throng of people in Diagon Alley without bumping anyone. Hands clutching the invisibility cloak tightly around her throat, she skipped around people, but as the cloak eerily brushed against shopper's legs, they glanced over to where she was, a confused and rather annoyed expression on their faces.

Snuffles was doing his best to clear a path, by walking ahead of her, baring his teeth and growling rabidly.

However, he almost lost her when she stopped, staring at the gutted shell of what used to be the BAF (British Auror Force) HQ. Suddenly people slammed into her, and she found herself knocked over to the edge of the yellow 'do not cross' tape sectioning off the roasted building. 

There wasn't much left of the once 5-story tall building. Just two walls, an awful lot of charred office furniture, blobs of molten glass and piles of rubble. The building had been wooden throughout, built along with the rest of Diagon Alley sometime in the 14th century, and would have burnt like a match. 

It would have been an impressive fire, Calypso though, staring at the vast burnt zone. There was no doubt in her mind who was responsible. No Ministry building would burn under a normal, Muggle flame. Only strong Dark Magic would break the Anti-Flame spells that coated the BAF HQ. 

Suddenly she realized she had lost Snuffles, Remus and Maria, and she turned around quickly 

But as she did so, something caught her eye. Puzzled, she turned back around.

Like most buildings on Diagon Alley, the HQ was long and narrow. So long, in fact, its back wall butted up against the very rear wall of Gringotts Bank, which was right around the corner of the twisty Alley. 

The blackened walls of the gutted building had crumbled away in some places, stories high in spots and mere rubble at others, leaving the ruins with a macabre castle look. 

On the back wall, there was such a spot where the wall dropped from nearly 4 stories of blackened wood down to nothing, and then back up again to about 3 stories. 

In the gap was a door set into the wall of Gringott's Bank.

*

"Can't you see it, Remus?" Calypso whispered as loudly as she could beneath the invisibility cloak. 

Remus shook his head, straining to see what was so perfectly obvious to Calypso.

"Look, now is not the time for this. We'll investigate further sometime later, but now we have things to do." He said back from the corner of his mouth. 

He was obviously in a hurry, because he grabbed Calypso by the edge of the cloak and led her at a break-neck pace through the mob of pedestrians, Snuffles galloping to keep up.

Calypso slammed into a few people, who, startled, froze stricken to the spot where they had fallen, trying to work out what sort of phantom force had knocked them off their feet. Calypso however, didn't care. She had her head full trying to work out the mystery of the door. 

Before she had managed to deduce anything apart from the fact that it was very odd indeed, Remus had led her to a building not far from Knockturn Alley, right at the end of Diagon Alley. Maria was waiting on the porch, talking to one of three Hit Wizards who were guarding the narrow entrance. 

"In in in!" she said, and whisked Calypso, Snuffles and Remus up a flight of stairs and into the most crowded, chaotic room Calypso had ever seen. 

"Welcome to Baffick!" Maria declared, whisking an arm across the incredible scene.

It seemed that the workers of the BAF HQ, who had previously occupied a large 5-story building, were now attempting to squeeze into a building about a quarter of the size. 

Desks, covered in parchment, were crushed together, leaving only a hip-wide aisle every 6 desks for people to move about the room, but that was impossible, as the aisle also accommodated the chairs for the desks, making it a traffic jam of seats. Three people worked at each single desk, elbows knocking together and tempers simmering in the close confines. 

It was bad enough crushing all the desks together on the floor, but desperate for space, desks and chairs were floating near the ceiling, manned by some rather brave wizards and witches, who sacrificed stable ground for breathing room. 

Talking about breathing, the room was hot and noisy, with at least fifty people working in a room designed for twelve, and dozens of people yelling across the room, because they couldn't walk over. Calypso put her hands over her ears and winced.

"This way!" Maria said, and to Calypso's surprise, got down on her hands and knees. Remus did so as well, and started crawling underneath the nearest desk. Hastily Calypso followed suit, hampered by the invisibility cloak. Snuffles gallumphed ahead easily as Maria skirted legs, both human and wood, rubbish bins, chairs and dead-ends. 

After a few moments of crawling and twisting in the dim, hot, cramped maze, they emerged on the far side of the room, next to a door. Brushing off her knees, Maria grinned in the direction of Calypso. 

"Now, wasn't that fun?"

Maria couldn't see the scowl, but heard Calypso's grumble. 

"It's the only way to get across this chaos." She explained. "We used to just fly over until they suspended all those desks in the air."

With that, they all followed Remus through the door.

*

Snape was stressed.

His sallow face was showing to what degree his role as a double-agent and teacher at Hogwarts was draining his energy. There were deep purple bags under his eyes, creases on his forehead, and about two days stubble on his chin. Teaching by day and working as a spy by night was not good for his complexion.

Dumbledore had hinted he should take a long bubblebath before he returned to Hogwarts on Monday.

Snape hadn't slept in 54 hours. 

He was near to collapse, but a combination of Strengthening Potions kept him on his feet. Yet his mind was telling him that he needed sleep, and soon. 

Snape had one last task to do.

Kneeling down in front of the fireplace, he threw a pinch of orange powder from his belt into the flames, which promptly turned green. 

"Kerian?" he called hoarsely.

Calypso, who was sitting across the room beside Maria, gave a start. "Did you say-"

"Shut up." Snape snapped. He had no patience for Calypso. 

She was so much trouble Snape couldn't believe the Aurors wanted to keep her on. Snape had a personal theory Calypso was much like King Midas. Only while everything King Midas touched turned into gold, everything Calypso touched turned into trouble. 

No matter what the girl involved herself with, it spiraled out of control. Also, Calypso grated on Snape's nerves quite like the Hufflepuff girls in his Potions class did. Naïve, stupid and yet indulged. Only Calypso was arrogant to boot. A combination Snape did not cherish. 

"Kerian, are you there?" he spoke again to the fireplace. 

There was a scuffling, and a head popped into the fireplace. 

"Not so loud, Snape." It whispered back, pushing tousled brown hair out of it's eyes.

"KERIAN!!!" 

Suddenly Snape found himself pushed out of the way as Calypso leapt in front of the fireplace. 

"Kerian, it's me!"

"Calypso?" The man in the fire looked lost for words. Then he found them, and turned angrily upon Calypso.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "I told you explicitly to get the next plane back to Australia! Don't you realize how much I put at stake to get you out of the Convent? I'm under sus-"

Calypso sat back on her heels, startled and shocked at Kerian's furious diatribe.

"Well, hello to you as well!" she retorted, hurt. "I did my damnedest to catch that plane, thank you very much!"

Kerian closed his eyes, rested his head in his hands, and groaned. "This is the last thing I need right now!" he said quietly.

"Fine then, if you don't want to see me, I'll go! I've had an incredibly horrible day, and all I wanted was a few nice words from you." She said chokingly, leapt up and stalked over to the window like a 6-year old to stare out the window. 

Kerian groaned again. "Oh, don't get shitty Calypso! I didn't mean it like that!" But by then Calypso was standing with her back to the fire, determined that no-one would see her start to sniffle, and Snape was sitting back in front of the fire. 

"You had information for me?" Snape said gruffly, intensely irritated at being interrupted. 

"Oh… yes, that's right." Kerian switched back to the task at hand. "I've only just found out – it might be too late –" Kerian said urgently, "-there's a plan to kill Spicier, the Azkaban Warden. Don't ask me how, I don't know. But if it's not too late, it'll be damn soon." 

He was about to say more, but at that moment the door to the room swung open and people walked in, hot and disheveled. Before the new arrivals had caught sight of who was in the fireplace, Kerian was gone, and the flames were back to their normal colour. Snape swore. 

"Sorry, did we interrupt something?" one asked. He was a swarthy man with messy, receding mousy hair, and an Australian accent. 

By the frosty silence that greeted them, it was obvious they had. 

"Incredibly sorry!" he said genuinely. "It's just that we really need to use the fireplace – our Apprentice, Ben Hunter? You know him? He's just been admitted to St. Mungo's – he didn't duck quick enough and we were in the middle of a rather nasty-"

He only got that far when there was a slight commotion down by the window. 

Calypso had thrown the invisibility cloak over herself and jumped out the window. 

*

Ben was lying in his squeaky, graunchy hospital bed counting the dots on the ceiling of the 10-bed ward when something invisible poked him in the arm, hard. 

What on earth? He though. Then he ground his teeth. If it was that little kid from bed 2 playing tricks again, he'd throttle it. 

Ben played dead, hoping the kid would go away.

His arm was shaken roughly. 

Immensely irritated, he rolled over with a furious expression on his face. 

There was an invisible gasp. 

Puzzled, Ben pushed his fringe out of his eyes and squinted at the gap between his bed and the curtains. Unless the kid had quickly jumped underneath his bed, he had gone. Then what had made the gasp? Warily, he reached out his good arm and swiped at the empty space.

And nearly leapt out of his skin when his hand hit something warm and squishy. 

"Aaaah!" he squeaked. 

"Stop it, Ben!" a ghostly voice whispered.

"What? Who? Where ar-"

"Sssssh!" Calypso shushed him, and pulled the hood of the invisibility cloak off her face. 

The look on Ben's face was priceless. Slowly, his eyes widened to gold-fishbowl proportions and his jaw dropped slackly. 

"CAL- Calypso!" he changed his initial yell of horror to a whisper. "What on earth do you think you are doing here?"

Calypso sighed tiredly. "Seeing you, of course. Look, d'ya mind if I sit down?" She was slightly sweaty and very pink, and so Ben moved his legs to one side and Calypso perched on the end of his bed. 

There were many question running through Ben's mind, but he voiced the first one that arrived at his mouth.

"How did you get here?"

"I ran."

"Where from?"

"Diagon Alley."

"Why on earth were you in Diagon Alley?"

"I was about to go into an Auror meeting."

Ben didn't like the way this was heading. "Why did you come here then?"

Calypso looked irritated. "Because someone came in and said that you hadn't ducked fast enough and I, as usual, thought the worst and assumed it was a curse you'd caught. And because I still care about you for some reason, even though you are horribly rude to me and I _think_ we've broken up, I jumped out the window and came running right here."

Ben noticed that Calypso seemed close to tears. He sat up in his bed, making it screech with protest. 

"I didn't duck a _bludger_ quick enough." He said with a wry smile. "Broke my collarbone and made a right ass of myself in front of a lot of people while we were having a departmental Quidditch game."

That drained the last of the energy out of Calypso. She started to snuffle. 

"Oh, Calypso, _don't cry!_" Ben said desperately. He could face a Death Eater, but a crying female….?

"You don't understand." Calypso said thickly into her sleeve, which she was covering her pink face with. "_Everything_ has gone horribly, horribly wrong!"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, Ben, I don't know where to start! Remus and I don't talk much, Sirius is too busy, Maria spends hours telling me off, Snape hates me, so does McGonagall, Kerian is mad with me, I can't talk to Virginia any more, Harry-bloody-Potter smashed my crystal ball, I just ran off with Crouch's invisibility cape when I'm supposed to be under Moody's supervision at all times, the Daily Prophet published an article that named me as a Death Eater, the Aurors closed down my bank vault, Melody and Aria have gone home, my feet hurt, I see doors no-one else can see, I've had some awful visions, and … and … I'm going to die!"

This startling revelation was interrupted by a heavy-treaded nurse reaching for the curtains that surrounded Ben's bed. Quick as a flash, Calypso pulled the hood of the cloak up and disappeared from view. 

"Now now, Mr. Hunter, a broken collarbone doesn't mean you are going to die!" a tall, angular nurse strode into Ben's cubicle. 

Ben coloured. "Erm…no…I didn't-"

The nurse thrust a thermometer under Ben's protesting tongue. "I've heard you mumbling to yourself all down the ward. Must have been those painkillers they gave you. I _told_ them three Armadillo scales was enough!"

Thankfully, the nurse promised to get some Powdered Moon Calf hoof to halt Ben's 'hallucinations' and scurried off, closing the curtains behind her. 

Ben turned to the empty space where Calypso had last been. 

"Cal, what's this about you dying?!?" he asked incredulously.

Calypso pulled the cloak back off her head and looked at Ben with a glum expression. "It was a reoccurring dream I had while I was sick, after being in the forest."

"Tell me about it. Quick, before the nurse comes back."   
  
Calypso sighed and fiddled with her thumbs. "It was…

__

It was a mild, calm night. The still night air was tainted with anticipation and cold, cold evil. Calypso looked up to see the moon, full and round against the inky black sky, illuminating the rough choppy waves and outlining the edge of the cliff. 

Standing on the edge of the cliff was …herself, dressed totally in black. The salt-spray had caused her hair to curl slightly at the edges, blonde ringlets forming in some places. A smudge of dark soot was smeared down one cheek as she proudly stared down her opponent. Mundungus Fletcher. 

Then time froze. The waves paused their pounding of the cliffs, the trees swayed no more, and Mundungus and Calypso stopped moving. Strangely, the dreaming Calypso found herself the only animate object in the dream. She walked over to the frozen Mundungus, and merged with him.

Calypso found herself in the strange position of facing off against…….. herself. There was a heartbeat's pause, and then time started again. 

There was no sound at all, just the twinkle in her eye as DreamCalypso stared atMundungus/Calypso arrogantly, daring, challenging him to draw his wand first. Then suddenly, as if at some unheard command, both DreamCalypso and Mundungus/Calypso raised their wands and jets of light issued from them at a roar. 

DreamCalypso's bolt of purple light hit Mundungus/Calypso square in the chest, knocking him/her off his/her feet and sending him/her catapulting back into a pine tree. 

Yet from her/his crumpled pile on the pine needles, Mundungus/Calypso watched his/her sapphire bolt hit DreamCalypso in the throat, throwing her back and toppling backwards, slowly at first, then faster and faster, like in a video, off the sides of the sheer cliff down onto the crashing waves and rocks far below. 

Horrified, the dreaming Calypso pulled out of Mundungus' body and floated over to the edge of the cliff and peered over as far as she could. 

Hundreds of meters down below there seemed to be a small rag-doll, sprawled over the wicked rocks limply.

"Oh no." Ben whispered, horror in his eyes. "No, Calypso, don't let it happen!" 

Calypso hugged her invisible knees miserably. "There's nothing I can do about it. That was one of those dreams that is fated to happen, and _must_ happen!"

Ben was lost for words. "Tell somebody! Like…Dumbledore!"

"What could Dumbledore do?" Calypso replied sadly. 

"You never know till you try." Suddenly ringing from the other end of the ward was the nurse's footsteps. Ben grabbed at Calypso, and got her knee. "Promise me you'll tell someone as soon as you get back, Calypso!" he said firmly, staring her forcefully in the eyes. 

"I can't-"

"Promise!" 

She relented. "Okay. I promise. Now, I better get moving before that nurse comes back!" 

Ben however, held onto her knee. "Thanks for coming and seeing me."

Calypso gave him a watery smile. "That's okay. Anything for an old friend." At that, Ben leant over and laid a light kiss on her forehead. 

And with that simple gesture, Calypso suddenly realized that after three years of their torrid on-off relationship, the dial was firmly set to 'off'. 

For some reason, instead of making her feel abandoned, disappointed, or even sad, it lifted her heart. She'd lost a lover – but gained an incredible friend. 

"Now go!" Ben said gruffly, pushing her off the bed with his foot. Calypso slid off and tucked the hood of the cloak over her head just at the moment when the curtains were whisked back by a professional hand. 

"Here we go, Mr. Hunter!" the nurse exclaimed as she nearly walked straight into Calypso. "Powdered Moon Calf's Hoof! It'll get rid of those nasty voices in your head!" 

Calypso carefully skirted around the nurse, ducked out behind the curtains, and without a backward glance, started power-walking down the ward while listening to the conversation she had just left. 

"Now, this may taste a little peculiar…"

There was a slurping noise.

"Uurugh!" Ben choked on the medicine. 

Calypso grinned as she went through the door.

*

It took Calypso a few minutes of futile wandering around the endless corridors of St. Mungo's before she realized she was hopelessly lost. In her panicked flight from Diagon Alley to the hospital she had forgotten the route back to the Reception.

Stumped, she stopped halfway down a deserted corridor and scratched her head. The ward she was in was totally unfamiliar, and Calypso felt the first pangs of worry in her stomach. Seeing Ben healthy and alive, not half-cooked or dead from a hex or curse, had made her feel much better, but as she stood in the corridor in the invisibility cloak problems and worries surfaced in her mind. 

She was gloomily pondering the reception she would receive back at the Auror HQ when there was a tap on her arm. 

"Excuse me..." 

Calypso wheeled around like a startled rabbit. 

Standing behind her was a short, friendly-looking woman with long bouncy brown hair. Middle aged, her face was pasty, as if she had been sick, but her hazel eyes were bright ... and looked directly at Calypso under the invisibility cloak. She offered Calypso a large, sunny smile. 

"Are you Calypso?" she said inquisitively. 

Calypso just stood there in stunned silence. Was the cloak malfunctioning?

The woman must have seen her distress, and reached out and clasped Calypso's hand in her own. "Don't worry, child. You have nothing to fear from me." 

  
"How can-"

The woman shushed Calypso with a finger. "Listen, don't talk." she murmured. "People may hear us. I have a message for you from Virginia."

"_Virginia?_" Calypso stuttered incredulously. "But-"

The woman interrupted again patiently. "She wants to -"

"-she's dead!"

"-tell you that she's very sorry she hasn't been able to contact you recently, but it's out of her control." The woman gave a small wry smile. "I think she's feeling guilty that she's effectively abandoned you in a very messy situation."

By now the strange woman had Calypso's complete attention. "Please, what should I do?"

The smile dropped from the woman's face. "The door in the ruins. Virginia has stored instructions and other aids behind the door that'll give you advice."

"Oh! So there really is a doorway in the wall?" Calypso asked, intrigued. 

Suddenly the woman frowned, and put a hand to her forehead. "There is a trick to the second door... you have to..." the woman's frown deepened and she held both her arms out straight in front of her, fists together, and then opened her arms wide. "…pull…in half…it makes two…it's a trick…"

"What? Say that again?" Calypso asked, trying to work out what the woman was muttering. 

But there were purposeful footsteps ringing their way down the corridor. 

The woman suddenly grabbed Calypso's shoulders and shook her gently, a look of desperation and resignation in her brown eyes. "I know it's hard, but you've got to go through with it! We are all depending on you!"

"Do what?" Calypso could see two nurses and a doctor come charging around the corner. One pointed to the woman.

"The cliff…" the woman let go of Calypso and gave her a sad smile. "You poor girl…no-one should have to go through that…"

"How do you know…" Calypso started to ask, but a large male nurse was bowling up into the spot where she was standing, forcing her to leap to the wall to avoid being flattened. 

"Carol!" he said politely to the woman as the other two hospital staff circled her. "How did you get out of your room?"

Mrs. Longbottom glanced at the Hospital staff, and then back at Calypso. "They can't see you, don't worry." She whispered. 

"Who are you talking to?" one of the other nurses asked sweetly. 

"The Archangel Gabriel." Mrs. Longbottom replied sweetly as the nurse gently took her by the arm and led her back down the corridor. 

With bewilderment slowly turning into horror, Calypso watched the staff patiently lead the insane lady away.

As they were about to round the corner and disappear from view, Mrs. Longbottom twisted away from the staff and called out to Calypso. "I have faith in you, dear! Have faith in yourself!" 

*

Severus Snape was not a very happy man. 

Not only was he very short on sleep, but he had just received some very bad news, followed by the orders to apprehend someone he disliked, with the help of two people he despised. 

He sat in a wicker chair in the British Auror Force HQ (BAFHQ – 'Baffick' to those who worked there) Floo Powder Fireplace Room and stared obstinately at the opposite wall. 

Sirius Black, Dogboy, Rabid Mutt, Mongrel – Snape had many names for Sirius – was slumped in a corner and seemed to had nodded off. In contrast, the One Eyed Freak, AKA Cyclops, AKA Mad-Eye Moody was pacing up and down the small room. 

He had done that for exactly seventy three minutes. 

In the seventy three minutes since Calypso had jumped out the window and chaos had reigned in the Floo Room, Snape, Moody and Sirius had been allocated to stay behind and wait for the wayward teen, while the rest of Team 7 and another Quick Response Team, Team 3, had Floo-ed off to Azkaban. 

Snape had been made to stay behind because he was so tired. 

Sirius had spent enough time with the Dementors.

And Moody was to keep Snape and Sirius from killing each other. 

After a few minutes of bickering they had settled down into their places – Sirius sleeping, Snape thinking and Moody pacing. 

Snape personally didn't think Calypso would be back. So it was with great surprise he saw the window frame shudder and shake, and something fall on top of the dozing Sirius. 

Sirius gave a startled yell, and there was an invisible squeaky shriek. 

"Gerroffme!!!!" Sirius hollered sleepily, pushing away his assailant. As he did so, the invisibility cloak, which had snagged on the windowsill, fell off Calypso. 

From her tangled mess of limbs on the floor, she stood up…and looked straight into Snape's face. 

Snape scowled and snatched her arm. "About time." He snarled. 

"Where have you been?" Moody demanded.

"At St. Mungo's." Calypso replied, unperturbed. "Sirius, are you all right? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there-"

Sirius was scrambling to his feet, looking quite winded. "Fine." He puffed. 

"Enough small talk." Snape snapped. "Let's go." And he started leading a rather unwilling Calypso over to the Floo Port.

"Go where?" she asked, digging her heels in and refusing to be moved. 

"My place." Moody said, grabbing some Floo Powder out of a tin. "Things have been happening, and the meeting has been postponed."

"Wait! We've got to go to the old Auror HQ first." Calypso said, pulling her arm back from Snape's grip. 

Snape looked at her like she had sprouted two new heads. "Doesn't anything penetrate that thick skull of yours?"

"Snape…." Sirius warned him.

Snape continued as if he hadn't heart him. "You are Moody's ward. You have no choice in the matter. And with the irresponsible way you have been behaving lately, I doubt if you'll get to go anywhere without an escort for months!"

"But we've got to go to the ruins!" she pleaded desperately. 

"Calypso, the Azkaban Warden has been murdered." Sirius said bluntly. "All Aurors from Teams 3, 7 and 8 are supposed to be there right now. That includes us. We can't spare the time to go sight-seeing at ruins!"

Snape actually felt quite sorry for Calypso at that point. She looked like she'd just been slapped. 

"No," she choked, "please, we've _got_ to go!"

Moody was waiting with the Floo Powder in his fingers. "Why do we _have_ to go?" he asked reasonably. "Give us a good reason and we'll consider it."

"Erm…I have to go through a door-"

"There's no doors left in the ruins." Snape cut in.

"-an invisible one on the wall," Calypso continued, "and figure out a puzzle, and then pick up some information and things, and that's all! It'll only take two shakes of a monkey's tail, I promise!"

"Two whats of a what?" Moody asked, confused. 

"You promise?" Sirius demanded. 

Calypso nodded fevoursly.

"Oh _please,_ I'll be really quick!" 

"What sort of information?" Snape asked thoughtfully. 

Calypso shrugged. 

"Why not?" Moody said in defeat, putting the Floo Powder back into the box. "We are already an hour late to Azkaban. What difference will another fifteen minutes make?"

"A puzzle, you said." Snape said slowly. "Well, I'd better come with you. I verily much doubt you've got the intellect to work out a puzzle, especially a magical one." He said scathingly. 

Calypso glared at him as she pulled the invisibility cloak back over her head. 

*

Snuffles was wandering over the charcoal ruins, nose to ground, following Calypso's trail over the vast blackened area. In comparison, Moody and Snape were standing beside a large pile of smoldering tiles down the end of the site, wands in hand, and trying to work out where Calypso was leading them. They could only follow the footprints she had left in the ashes as she scrambled agilely over the rubble. 

"Over here!" she called. "Follow Sirius!" 

The huge shaggy dog had bounded right down to the very end of the site, where blackened timbers leaned up against the white marble of Gringotts' Bank rear wall. Snuffles sat down in a large pile of soot, sending it flying. Some of it covered Calypso's invisibility cloak, and then the Aurors could see the outline of her body. 

She was standing impatiently, hands on hips, for the others to catch up. 

"Come on! I've found the door, and the handle turns."

"What door?" Moody asked when they arrived, huffing and puffing. He ran his hands up and down the smooth white marble.

"This one." Calypso said with relish, twisted the doorhandle, and pulled it open.

*

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were huddled around a table in the Gryffindor Common Room, doing their homework.

Or more correctly, Hermione was doing homework, and Harry and Ron were showing Ginny how to 'prophesize' Horoscopes for 3rd Year Divination. 

"Now Ginny, remember never to repeat the same thing twice." Harry said solemnly.

"And you've got to check for continuity." Ron added. "I got burnt a few times on that. You can't have the flu one day and hurt yourself in a game of Quidditch the next day."

"Are you sure this works?" Ginny asked suspiciously. 

"Sure." Hermione said, looking up from _Horribly Difficult Arithmancy_ _For Fifth Year Magical Students_. "Harry and Ron got A's in Divination. Here's my advice for you – a) it's all a load of trash, and b) the gloomier, the better. Trelawney loves sad endings."

"But what if it doesn't happen? Won't she be able to tell?"

"Now here's the trick, Ginny." Harry said, leaning over the table conspiratorially "Make it all ambiguous." 

"Yeah, or trivial. Don't name names."

"Say you loose bets, get into fights."

"Scorned by your one true love."

"The sort of stuff that probably happens every day."

Ron scrabbled around with his books. "Look, here's some of Harry and my stuff from last year. Read this." 

  
Ginny read the smudged parchment, and then looked up uncertainly. 

"Oh….I see…..so this won't do?" She slid her workbook over to Ron, who read what she'd written.

Ron sighed, and gave the book to Harry. "Now Ginny, it's a good start, but we'll need to make changes."

To Ginny's distress, he pulled out his quill and started striking through sentences with vivid red ink. 

"_Azkaban destroyed,_ no, she can find out if that really happens…………..….._nations unite_…that won't do, Trelawney likes gloomy stuff……………….…._traitors_, oh that's good, we'll keep that…………….…._fate of the world_……..that's a bit iffy…….."

"Change that to 'fate of my heart'." Harry added. Ron did so, and Hermione snorted.

"_Voices from the past_…….that's a bit too off-the-wall, even for Trelawney, we'll get rid of that…….but this line's a true gem _– she knows what must be done, but she does not fully understand_…..We'll have to work that in somehow……….all this stuff about _blood being spilt_ and _kinslayers_ will have to go………..….._outcome is uncertain_…beautiful safety-net there……..…..….._great sadness and pain_…….wonderful, Ginny…………"

Harry looked at Ginny's distressed face while Ron edited her work. 

"But I-" Ginny started.

"Don't worry Gin," Harry cut in reassuringly, "we'll make a Divinator out of you yet."


	17. Just to recap

The Story So Far......  
  
Calypso Ann Grey is a rather unusual lass. An Australian witch, backpacking through Europe "because a buzz in my head told me to", she finds herself walking down a deserted country road. Dehydrated, exhausted and lost, she follows a dog to a paddock, where a red cottage appears out of nowhere, along with a certain Remus Lupin.  
  
Calypso collapses on the doorstep, and wakes up in bed inside the house, all by herself - apart from the dog and a note saying to make herself comfortable. When Remus comes home from work, it becomes evident that Calypso was not physically supposed to be able to find the house, or see it. After a bit of hedging questions, Calypso admits that she is actually a witch, albeit an untrained one that was forbidden to learn magic or have contact with magical people, but declines to disclose why. After finishing a Chemistry degree in Australia, she started hearing a 'buzz' in her head that made her pack up and wander across the world, winding up at Remus' place. Also, she is a seer. After showing Remus that she can levitate things, since Remus tested her with a Pocket Sneakscope, he lets her stay another night until she can sort things out.  
  
Since the Pantry was sulking and refusing to serve food, Calypso offers to go to the local Village (with Snuffles in tow) the next day to pick up provisions. However, while in queue for the checkout, she has a vision of Death Eaters on broomsticks blowing up the Supermarket in sixteen minutes time. Calypso runs out and calls in a bomb threat from the nearest payphone, and dashes back to the hidden entrance to the road to Remus' place. She and Snuffles only just get there when the Death Eaters strike - the explosion also destroyed the charms hiding the road entrance, blowing Calypso and Snuffles against a fence.  
  
Calypso wakes up in St. Mungo's, suffering cracked ribs, a broken wrist and slight bleeding at the back of her brain. Confined to hospital for three days under observation, she has an unusual vision. She dreams of the Entrance Foyer of St. Mungo's, and an emergency case on a stretcher that arrives. The man on the stretcher has a monkey dressed in Rastafarian clothes, attacking him and bouncing on his chest. Waking up from the vision, Calypso sneaks out of her ward and is chased by many orderlies and nurses. Eventually reaching the Entrance Foyer, she meets the emergency case she dreamed about, who is clearly under the force of some dark spell that is killing him. Recognising the red brooch on the man's robes matching the monkey's eyes, Calypso grabs it and dashes it on the floor, where it shatters and forms the Dark Mark. In the chaos that ensues, Calypso realises that she has been running about the hospital with the back of her hospital robes flapping wide open.  
  
Made respectable by a kindly Nurse Dot, Calypso and Remus are ushered to an audience with Dumbledore. The illustrious wizard updates Calypso on current events and offers her a job working for the League Against the Dark Arts, (LADA) which is Dumbledore's underground anti-Voldemort group. Surprisingly, Calypso declines, citing that Seers cannot take sides unless they see themselves intervening. Suddenly the 'buzz' in Calypso's head starts talking, tells her off and Calypso is hit with a vision of herself attending the next LADA meeting. So reluctantly she hitches up with Dumbledore, and Remus says that she can stay at his place.  
  
Remus and Calypso fly home on broomsticks - Calypso has to be taught how to fly - and when they arrive home she continues to play around on the broom. When inside, she joins Remus and Snuffles napping in the afternoon sun, and has a dream about when she was a small child, visiting her elderly neighbour, Kuia. Unbeknown to the small Calypso, Kuia was lying in her bedroom, brutally murdered, not sleeping as Calypso thought. When Calypso wakes up from her distressing memory, she reacts badly to Remus and Snuffles' attempts to make her feel better, and storms off to have a bath. When she emerges from the bath, Remus' girlfriend Maria is at the house. Maria is a smart cookie and after hearing Calypso's extraordinary narrative, suggests that Calypso tries asking the 'buzz' in her head questions. The buzz answers rudely, but does say that it is a long-dead seer who is trying to manipulate the future through Calypso, to help defeat Lord Voldemort. That night, Calypso has a strange dream, involving riding a horse down a beach, trying to outrun a cloud of fear that destroys her.  
  
Since the next LADA meeting is in three days time, Calypso takes the broomstick the next day and flies to London for a bit of touristy sight- seeing and to buy some more clothes. After a wonderful day, she bumps in to a man named Monohan in the subway, who attacks Calypso. She loses him eventually by flying away and sitting with some marijuana-smoking punks, as Monohan tracks people's minds, and drugged people have altered minds. Smoking a bit herself, Calypso flies home safely (if a little manically) and starts to worry as Monohan should be in the Australian Wizard Gaol. She goes to the village to use the telephone and warn her sisters back home, only to find them all hysterical. According to them, she has been missing for six months. According to Calypso, she rang them last week. However, back at Remus' house, comparing Calypso's passport and the current date suggests that she has a 'blank period' of six months, between landing at Heathrow and walking to Remus' cottage. The buzz in Calypso's head pipes up and claims responsibility for the missing months, and refuses to say why. Maria, the ever watchful female, realises that Calypso is not telling everyone the complete truth, and works out she has some sort of link to the Australasian Death Eaters, but does not press the matter.  
  
That night is hot and sticky, and Calypso decides to go for a night-time stroll. But Remus has put a charm over her door so she can't go anywhere. Yet with the help of a talking mirror called Rorrim, Calypso scrambles out the window and trots off. While outside, Calypso sits down and after much effort, transforms into a Wolf. While gallivanting around the place, she runs into Snuffles and another wolf - it's the full moon. After chasing small prey all night with them, she is shocked to watch the wolf change back into Remus and Snuffles change into Sirius Black, mass murderer.  
  
Sneaking back into tbe house, she sleeps well into the next morning, and finds herself in an empty house. Taking advantage of the quietness, she has an 'interview' with the buzz in her head, getting proper answers to her questions by threatening to have an exorcism. The buzz's name is Virginia, and was a seer in the 1600s who saw the troubles with Lord Voldemort, and therefore had set up elaborate spells to work with Calypso to foil his plans. Apart from that titillating information, Virginia didn't disclose much else.  
  
Calypso also interviewed Rorrim, the gossipy mirror in her room, and found out that Remus was one of three children - the older brother had disappeared, and the parents and younger sister murdered by Lord Voldemort.  
  
Remus was also investigating Calypso's past at the Ministry Office - and came up against an awful lot of red tape. At the same time, There were ructions in the Death Eater Camp - Lucius Malfoy was getting pissed off at being demoted again, as the Australasian Death Eaters arrive and their leader, a fanatical woman named Octavia, is given the #3 spot after Peter Pettigrew, who has become a powerful psychopath after receiving the silver hand.  
  
After having many dreams and predictions, including the horse and beach dream again, and a new one involving a boy writing a letter which turned to gibberish, Calypso wakes up to dinner with Maria, Remus, Snuffles and a visitor called Neil - Maria's partner at work. During dinner, she informs the dinner party that she knows perfectly well who Snuffles really is. Sirius appears and Calypso says that Rorrim, her bedroom mirror, had told her the truth. That night, Calypso slips up and accidentally discloses that for the past few years, she had shared a house with other magical people that she had met while at school. She also explains that she is an orphan, and has two sisters, one who is blind and one who is disabled.  
  
That night, Calypso has a multitude of dreams. The first involves two Australasian Death Eaters standing on a rooftop, about to launch an attack. This merges into the horse on the beach dream, but Calypso follows Virginia's instructions to 'try something different' - and runs towards the scary thing that is chasing her, instead of away - and suddenly dreams she is in paradise, with Virginia. Virginia says that the dream was a lesson, designed to teach her to stop running away from her past, no matter how scary it was.  
  
The next day Maria escorts Calypso to London, to meet up with Neil's daughter, who will be taking her into Diagon Alley for the day, before the DADA meeting starts. Neil's daughter is Angelina, and she and Calypso first visit a Muggle bank where Calypso receives three suitcases, which she then puts into a new Gringott's vault. After a fun day in Diagon Alley, Calypso reluctantly leaves Angelina and goes to Maria's shabby flat for the DADA meeting with the other Phoenixes. The meeting is interesting - Calypso is not the only 'newbie' - there are five other young people from various countries, who are apprentice Phoenixes, with a cover as 'student teachers' at Hogwarts on a teacher exchange programme. Fleur Delacour is among these apprentices, and will be the DADA student teacher. Calypso is introduced as a seer, and receives great scepticism. However, after breaking a few encoded owls from Lucius Malfoy, using information from her dreams, she gains a slight amount of respect - but not enough for anyone to take her seriously when she realises the dream she had last night was predicting an attack on Maria's flat at that very moment!  
  
So Calypso takes matters into her own hand, and drags a Death Eater down from the roof. At that, the Phoenixes spring into life and rush onto the roof and a rather frenzied battle ensues. Fleur is captured by a Death Eater, who portkeys them both out of the fray. Calypso scarpers off and starts swinging around the side of the roof, where she meets Snape, brushes past him and goes straight through a lethal spellshield.  
  
In the meantime, Ben Hunter, the apprentice Auror of a contingent of Aurors freshly arrived from Australasia, is trying to go to sleep after an awful Portkey journey. Fudge only booked accommodation at the Leaky Cauldron for eleven people, not twelve, so Ben, the apprentice, ends up in the dusty attic with no Dreamless Sleep potion to combat the jetlag. When a curse crashes through his room, tearing the roof open, Ben forgets about sleep and rushes into battle.  
  
When the Death Eaters suddenly fold, most portkey away just before the Hit Wizard squad arrives. The Hit Wizards take Ben away, suspecting that he may be a Death Eater, and then suddenly Calypso appears from down the street. But before she walks back to Maria's now destroyed flat, Snape confronts her, tells her that 'he knows' her secrets and dumps her on the Knight Bus, with strict directions to go to his house and hide in the cellar.  
  
However, on the Knight Bus Calypso meets an old woman who promptly stuns her and portkeys them both away. Snape tells the rest of the Phoenixes what he has deduced - Calypso is a Death Eater. She walked through a spellshield that only Death Eaters could go through alive, and her disappearance for the next three weeks seems to back the story up.  
  
The Phoenixes are then bombarded with work - not good! Then when Snape spots Calypso after a Death Eater Rally, singing and dancing, the Phoenixes deduce Calypso was a very talented spy. Things get worse - Vernon Durlsey goes mad and tries to murder Harry, but only succeeds in breaking his leg. He is whisked away to Remus' place, where he is much happier, if a bit bored.  
  
But when Remus gets his hands on Calypso's red-taped file at the Ministry, things become interesting. Calypso's father is Cain, Remus' 'missing' brother, who is also the co-leader of the Australasian Death Eater Tribe. She had participated in many of the attacks when young, but had betrayed her parents to the Aurors when she was seven. At the same time, Angelina mentions that she had seen Calypso looking out of a window of a building in Muggle London. A group of the Phoenixes quickly Apparate to the opposite building to assess the situation - to their surprise Calypso creeps outside onto the rooftop after dismantling a fire door, sits down and starts smoking a cigarette. Sirius rashly Apparates over next to her, and learns a few interesting things.  
  
Calypso claims that she's not a spy, and she's not supporting the Death Eaters. However, she's trapped inside the spellshield and can't leave, and has to pretend to support her parent's cause. But the other Death Eaters are highly suspicious of her and her story, which is full of holes, and Calypso fears for her life. Sirius offers her a place in the Phoenixes again, and offers to bust her out of the building. Calypso says that she has a plan to get out - and that Fleur will be coming with her. But before she can say more, Monahan, who had followed her outside and overheard the whole coversation, attacks Calypso from behind. Calypso manages to overpower him (by fighting dirty) and knocks him out. Things look even worse for Calypso when another Death Eater also appears - but this one is friendly. Kerian fixes Calypso's injuries, patches up Monahan and modifies his memory and gives Calypso a present - a pet Puffskein. Kieran is assisting Calypso in her bid for freedom, and seems to dislike the Death Eaters too.  
  
Meanwhile, Ben the Australasian apprentice Auror, is getting quite drunk with the other apprentices at the Leaky Cauldron. While taking a 'rest' on the staircase, he overhears a conversation between two men about pesky Grindylows in the vege patch. They suggest a Remus Lupin for consultation, and Ben finally realises the 'Wemis' Calypso said she was staying with is probably Remus. The men say Remus can be contacted via Dumbledore, and so Ben plans to pay Dumbledore a visit. When he does so the next day, he explains how he knows Calypso - he was her flatmate in Australia, and asks where Calypso is.  
  
At that moment Calypso had wrangled her way into the Death Eater Laboratories during Snape's hours - after upsetting Snape's cauldron, Calypso takes a collection of potions from different cauldrons and puts them in her pockets. She also tells Snape to pick up Fleur from a park in little over two hours, and which house the Death Eaters are planning to attack that night. Snape informs Calypso that since the Phoenixes have been disbanded, and are now a part of the British Auror Force, Calypso would no longer be welcome on the side of people fighting Voldemort, as Dumbledore, Calypso's greatest advocate, no longer calls the shots.  
  
Despite this, Calypso and Kerian still go through with their plan - Calypso takes some Juliet Potion, and is rushed to St. Mungo's, apparently dead. Kerian steals her body from the morgue before Aurors arrive, and gives Calypso the antidote. Kerian also delivers Fleur a measure of Polyjuice Potion and a hair from his head - Fleur changes into Kerian, and since the guard had Confusing Concoction in his coffee, he doesn't notice that Kerian had left Fleur's cell twice. Things were going smoothly until Fleur is stopped by Monohan as she is about to leave - there is an unexpected Death Eater meeting called. Fleur goes to the toilets and searches for another escape. She squeezes out the small windows above the men's urinals, but when someone comes into the bathroom she falls out the window while trying to get out of sight.  
  
Meanwhile Calypso has stolen a car and is on her way to the airport with a fake passport, intending on heading home for good. However Virginia soon pipes up, asking what's being going on, as while Calypso was with the Death Eaters, various wards prevented the two from communicating. When Calypso explains, Virginia demands that Calypso goes back and checks that Fleur got away safely. When Calypso spots Fleur's unconscious form outside the Death Eater building, and Fleur groggy from the two-story fall, she picks up the French girl, dumps her in the stolen car and zooms to the park, intending to dump Fleur there and to get out of sight as soon as possible.  
  
However there is a problem at the park - Monohan is there, and had murdered the Aurors that were to pick up Fleur, and many civilians. He traps the helpless Calypso, and is about to kill her when Snuffles kills him. Calypso gets a wand off one of the dead wizards and overpowers Monohan, and Sirius stuns him. When Sirius, Calypso and Fleur go to make their getaway, they find that Calypso's stolen car had been stolen again, leaving them in a pretty pickle. Sirius transfigures a coke can into a fake gun for Calypso, and she holds up a car at the traffic lights and they take off down the motorway, perused by the Muggle police. Sirius manages to change his emergency portkey to include the contents of the car, and also informs Calypso that Remus is her uncle, a fact she was unaware of. Just in the nick of time, the portkey is activated and they crash-land heavily at The Burrow, an Auror Safe House.  
  
Calypso is cleaned up by Molly and sent off to have a bath, while Fleur is taken to St Mungo's and Sirius takes Monohan into custody. While in her bathtub, the Weasley clan arrives home, ransacks Molly's baking and heads off to play Quidditch, Calypso joining them when she gets out of the bathroom. Playing Quidditch with the Weasleys is Ben, whom Calypso meets joyously. Things are going well, apart from Calypso's playing abilities, when the game is interrupted by the arrival of Auror officials from the Auror Board, who place Calypso under arrest and take her to Azkaban until they can decide what to do with her.  
  
Meanwhile, Lord Voldemort extracts his revenge on the guard who let Fleur escape - Fleur was meant to be involved in a complex potion to help Voldemort kill Harry Potter. Plots are also afoot in Azkaban - Wormtail is running around the drains, planning and plotting with the inmates, and the Dementors have not declared allegiance to either side. While in the awful Azkaban cells, Calypso dreams constantly of finding Kuia, her grandmother figure, murdered in her room, and also has a strange dream involving sandcastles in the shape of Azkaban and Hogwarts - they start to crumble and she is told that only one can be saved.  
  
The Auror board battles in court to get Calypso released from Azkaban so she can work with the Aurors the judge rules that since Calypso has such an awful record - a Death Eater with 7 scalps, and a Muggle criminal history - that she should become a Ward of Alastor Moody.  
  
Moody takes Calypso back to his house - a dismal house covered with anti- intruder alerts. Calypso goes to sleep, but not before reading the Daily Prophet and finding that Sirius was being blamed for the massacre at the park, and that Calypso herself was down as an accomplice. After sleeping for twenty hours, she spends a day cleaning the house while Moody goes to see Remus - and finds Calypso's two sisters, Melody and Aria, also staying there. Moody promises Calypso that if she co-operates at the Auror Board Meeting that night, she can see her sisters.  
  
The Board meeting is interesting - Calypso explains why she suddenly turned away from the Death Eater movement at the age of seven - her sister Melody was not born blind. Instead, Melody was hit by a Death Eater curse intended for a Muggle policeman during a raid at Surfer's Paradise. Her mother's lack of empathy and the things the Muggles had said to Calypso before they were killed made her start to wonder if she was really fighting for the good guys. Also, being the daughter of two prominent Death Eaters, Calypso has lots of Death Eater secrets to divulge to the Auror board, so it was a long and titillating meeting. Since Monohan knew important restricted information, but was inoculated against Truth Serums, Calypso suggests they try a Muggle truth serum on him. Only to get the dose right, they try it out on Calypso first. That goes without a hitch, but when taking the Floo network back to Lupin's place, Calypso is still under the influence of the drug, and freaks out while in the Floo network, and gets off far too soon - at the remains of a remote battlezone, with magical wards still in place.  
  
With pouring rain and howling wind, Calypso quickly becomes hypothermic, and only when the wards die and she is able to transform into a wolf is she able to get warm again, and goes to sleep under a tree. Unfortunately, when searchers arrive at the fire grate, they disregard the large sleeping 'dog' , but luckily when they mention the 'dog' in conversation Ben realises it is really Calypso. He Apparates off to the site and Floos the feverish, hypothermic Calypso back to Lupin's house.  
  
After four days of feverish dreams, Calypso sends her sisters home, knowing they would be safer far away, and has some disturbing dreams. In one recurring one, Calypso is killed - seemingly by herself. The duel she dreams is between herself and Mundungus Fletcher, but then Mundungus becomes another Calypso, and both are killed at the clifftops. Troubled, she is about to unburden to Maria when Remus contacts the pair urgently - Calypso has been named in the newspaper as dead, and a Death Eater. Also, her bank vault is being frozen. Flooing off to Diagon Alley (underneath an invisibility cloak) immediately to shift the money before it is frozen, Calypso notices a mysterious door in the rubble of the destroyed British Auror Force HQ, which was destroyed by Death Eaters while she was ill. However no-one else can spot this door. When reaching the new BAF HQ, Kerian's face pops into the fireplace - he is feeding information to the Aurors, and tells them of a plan to murder the Azkaban Warden. While Aurors rush off to Azkaban, some Australasian Aurors come in to use the fireplace, citing that their apprentice, Ben, is at St. Mungo's after being hurt. Calypso panics, leaps out the window and runs off to see Ben, convinced that he is seriously injured. Luckily, he had just broken his collarbone playing Quidditch.  
  
While trying to find the exit from St Mungo's, Calypso runs into a mad woman in the corridors, who gives her an unusual message from Virginia, whom Calypso has lost contact with. The woman says that Virginia has left equipment and a message behind the invisible door, stuff that will get her out of working for the Aurors, and there is a trick to the second door. When Calypso gets back to the HQ, she finds a very angry trio waiting for her - Moody, Sirius and Snape. She convinces them to let her investigate the door before joining the others at Azkaban. Reluctantly, Moody, Sirius and Snape follow her through the door....  
  
and that brings us up to Chapter 17!!!! 


	18. The beginning

Azkaban was cold any day of the year. So it was with no surprise that Remus found his teeth chattering while he was in the medieval prison. However, he had been informed that the battlements were much warmer than the actual underground cells, so that was why he was standing outside, his back to the blistering wind, gazing unenthusiastically at the magnificent view.  
  
He jumped as someone grabbed him from behind, but it was only Maria, who wrapped her arms around his body and shivered. "Merlin, it's cold up here. Come down into the compound, it's warmer around the bonfire - oh, nice view!" There was a note of definite approval in Maria's voice as she evaluated the scenery. "Pity about the location." she added. The blue-grey masonry of the fortress wall met with a thick pine forest before the sheer cliffs dropped away to meet turbulent green seas. On the horizon they could see a scattering of islands, and to the left was the mainland, hazy in the distance, and crowned with a blazing gold sunset. It was a wild, untamed scene - the sort seen in paintings of times long since past. In fact, Remus thought, Azkaban had an untamed, uncivilised edge to it - rather like the setting.  
  
"Has the Magical Catastrophes Squad found anything interesting?" he asked quietly.  
  
"No, not a thing. Nothing's disturbed, nothing's taken. There are no tracks, no fingerprints, no evidence of how the murderer got in or out. And even with all that blood lying around, there is no footprints, no smears on the doorhandles, and no trail of droplets. And strangest of all, there's no trace of spells!" Maria rested her chin on Remus' shoulder.  
  
Remus frowned. "No spells?"  
  
"Not a single one. All those experts milling around down there are scratching their well-educated heads."  
  
"But ... then how else was Spicier killed?"  
  
Maria paused. "Someone broke through his ribs and pulled out his heart. So either the murderer was a blood-crazed maniac with incredible strength, or he used some sort of new spells we don't know about."  
  
"This is not good," Remus murmured. "Azkaban's out of control. Spicier could talk with the Dementor, bargain with them, persuade them into doing what he wanted."  
  
"Which is probably the reason he's now spattered all over his office," Maria added curtly.  
  
"Remind me once again why we are here."  
  
"Because a crazy woman in St. Mungo's said I had to," Calypso said tiredly.  
  
Snape chose not to answer.  
  
It wasn't a normal doorway they had walked through. Snape had realised there was a long-term Floo Charm set up around the doorframe the moment his nose first passed through it. So instead of walking through a doorway into Gringott's bank from the ruined Auror HQ, they were now in a small courtyard somewhere near the sea, with a large beehive nearby and a motorway off to the left. Snape could tell this by the sound of the waves nearby, the large number of bees flying past and the sickly petrol fumes drifting by. The courtyard was no bigger than a bedroom, and was flanked by six foot red brick walls, topped by some sort of charm that had prevented Sirius climbing over them. The door behind them had disappeared the moment they had walked through it, leaving Sirius, Moody, Calypso and Snape from going anywhere. The only means of escape from their brick prison was a green painted door at the other end of the courtyard.  
  
The only problem with this door was that it went nowhere. Its hinges were merely bolted to the wall, and it swung limply in the breeze.  
  
Calypso picked absently at some moss growing between flagstones. The group were sitting down on the ground, trying to get out of the scathing midday sun.  
  
"I'm sorry," She blurted out suddenly. "I'm really sorry. It's all my fault. I should have thought before I went through the doorway. It's my biggest failing - I never really think before I do anything." She stared at the ground, and continued destroying the moss.  
  
"It's okay," Moody grunted. "We'll get out of here."  
  
"How?" Snape drawled.  
  
No-one replied.  
  
After a long silence Sirius spoke up. "I've been thinking-"  
  
"-Well, this is a first!"  
  
"-Shut up, Snape - thinking about this door. It must date from about the 1400s or so. The old Auror HQ was built in 1487, give or take a few years. There was no way you could access that door through the Auror HQ - it was the men's ablution block along that wall, if I remember correctly."  
  
"So nobody's been here in about 500 years," Moody added.  
  
"Brilliant," Calypso said gloomily. "So no-one will know where to look for us."  
  
"Oh, don't be so negative," Sirius replied, upbeat. "No-one would make a door that goes to nowhere. There is some way out of here - we've just got to find it."  
  
There was silence again as the four magicians racked their brains for any ideas.  
  
"God it's hot," Calypso eventually said crossly, pulling at the collar of her robes to improve the airflow. "I didn't actually imagine Britain got a real summer."  
  
"Where on earth did you get a silly idea like that?" Moody said tiredly.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Probably fro- Oh, wait! I've just had an idea!" Calypso leapt to her feet, bright eyed.  
  
"Only one?"  
  
"Shut up, Snape."  
  
"Well, spit it out."  
  
Calypso looked around at her hot, sticky companions sitting in the shade. "Has anyone ever seen The Labyrinth?"  
  
"The what?"  
  
"It's a movie from the 80's, and it had David Bowie in it, wearing an awful mullet and horrible tight silver pants."  
  
Moody shook his head. "Can't say I have." Snape merely sneered.  
  
However, Sirius looked interested. "Oh yes. Awesome movie, that one."  
  
"Do you remember the bit where that girl was in a maze that went on forever? And the way she finally got out of it was by-"  
  
"-walking into the walls." Sirius finished, eyes alight. "Just like at King's Cross. Yes, maybe...."  
  
Sirius stood up and brushed off his robes. "Same principal to the gate to Platform 9 and Three Quarters. You've got to believe that you can go through." He leaned experimentally against the red brick wall.  
  
"Try jumping," Calypso suggested. Sirius slammed his shoulder into the bricks, and grunted. "Ooof. Hey, that hurt."  
  
"I'll try this wall," Calypso said gamely, and promptly began throwing herself into the brick wall, with the same results as Sirius.  
  
"Ow!" "Ike." "Doof!" "Mmph." "Ooch." "Owwee!"  
  
Snape rolled his eyes from where he was sitting. "Honestly, you two are both depriving a village of its idiot."  
  
Sirius glared at Snape, while rubbing his now very sore sholder. "Shut up, Snape. I can't see you doing anything constructive."  
  
"I'm using my brain, unlike the pair of you," He replied smugly, causing Sirius to bristle.  
  
"Break it up!" Moody growled, and with a parting stare, Sirius resumed charging the wall. "Try over by that green door, Calypso," The old man said after thought. "They wouldn't have hung that door for no reason, would they?"  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking." Snape cut in crisply. He got to his feet stiffly and walked over to the door, catching it in mid-swing by the doorknob and began bouncing it back and forth from one hand to another. "I actually have seen The Labyrinth." He said suddenly. "And you might remember another part, in the garbage heap, where there was another interesting door? If you opened it from the left, it revealed a cupboard full of pots. And from the right, the funny little man's house."  
  
"What are you thinking, Snape?"  
  
Snape studied the doorknob closely. "Calypso, exactly how did that mad woman gesture?"  
  
"She kind of went like this...." Calypso held out her arms straight, hands together, and then moved them apart. "She did it a few times, and then she got all confused. She kept going on about how it's a trick and how I-"  
  
Calypso trailed off. For Snape had slowly taken the doorknob in one hand, and the knob on the other side of the door in his opposite hand. And pulled them apart.  
  
The door split down the middle, and Snape leapt back as the crack opened up and a great cloud of dust billowed out. Coughing, the four buried their faces in their robes until the dust had settled, and then looked up cautiously,  
  
"Wow!" Calypso exclaimed. Where there had been a solid wood door, there was now a double-door gap in the brick wall. The gap descended into darkness, but it definitely descended.  
  
Snape was running a finger down the green wood edge of the gap. "Ingenious. They compressed the tunnel entrance onto the back of two doors, and then sandwiched them together."  
  
"So it's a tunnel?" Moody said, pulling out his wand. "Oh yes," Snape replied smugly, a look of accomplishment on his face. "There's steps that go down."  
  
Sirius, Calypso and Moody edged over and peered down the tunnel. Indeed, there were cut stairs leading down into the darkness and disappearing around the corner.  
  
"Well?" Snape said loftily. "Are you going to go down or just ogle?"  
  
Moody gave Snape a startled look. "What? Do you take us for cowards? Of course we're going!" And before anyone could doubt his courage, Moody planted a large foot on the first stair. Immediately wall-mounted torches leapt to life in their iron brackets, making Calypso jump. "Do we have to go down there?" she pleaded quietly. "Unless you can see another way out of here," Snape said. Calypso glanced at the determined faces surrounding her, and reluctantly clutched a handful of Sirius' cloak. "Okay," she said gingerly, and Sirius and Snape drew their wands.  
  
"Moody, you go first, followed by Sirius, Calypso in tow," Snape said firmly. "I'll cover the rear."  
  
"He's the last person I want covering my rear," Sirius snarled. "Cut it out," Moody said sharply. "It's a good plan." And with that, Moody started cautiously making his way down the torch-lit tunnel. Sirius followed, Calypso clinging onto his cloak tightly. The moment her foot touched the first slippery stair, she had a sudden thought.  
  
"Moody, I just thought-"  
  
Snape followed Calypso down the tunnel, his foot leaving the cobblestones from the courtyard.  
  
"-shouldn't we leave someone up above to keep-"  
  
There was a woosh, and in an instant the door closed behind them, wiping out the sunlight.  
  
"-the door open?"  
  
Ben and Kevin were on Owl Catching Duty at the Malfoy Manor.  
  
"Kevin!" Ben hissed from under his privet bush. "This is no time for sunbathing!"  
  
"I am not sunbathing!" Kevin growled back. "I am trying to get out of the ground this bloody rock that keeps digging into my back. I can't be under the plant and pull the rock out at the same time."  
  
"Well, you'd better get back under your 'plant', rock and all, because here come Malfoys on broomsticks!"  
  
Kevin gave a grunt and instantly rolled back under his shrub. Just in time, as five brooms whipped past, barely skimming the treetops.  
  
The Aurors waited until the leaves were still again. "Ben, did you see that?" Kevin whispered.  
  
"Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and two others. And I'd bet they were..."  
  
"Octavia and Cain from the other Death Eater Tribe." Ben crawled out from under his privet, twigs in his hair. "But they hate each other, don't they? Why are they out on a scenic flight together?"  
  
Kevin frowned. "Something is up, boy. The number of Owls have dropped off. There are no more message coming into Malfoy Manor."  
  
"They suspect we are reading their mail?"  
  
"No, they are planning something," Kevin said with certainty, sitting up and gazing after the brooms. "Something so big they are not trusting it to Owlpost. And there's been no attacks for days - it's like the calm before the storm."  
  
Ben gave a low whistle. "Both Tribes together....we'd never be able to stop them!"  
  
Kevin shook her head. "Nah, their leaders may be civil to each other, but they hate each other too much to work together. I'd say one tribe is going to make a big attack, and they are briefing the other tribe so they don't get in the way."  
  
"So how big is this big thing?" Ben was slightly confused. BAF Auror Training Unit Standard #12839 hadn't covered this sort of situation.  
  
Kevin bit his lip. "Bigger than........... uh.... well, big. We'd better get back to HQ and report this."  
  
Remus was warm for the first time in what seemed an eternity. The hot water cascaded down in hard needles, stinging his skin, but at the same time feeling very good. Curry pain, Remus called it. He was sure it was a mild form of sadism, but the burning spices in curries and the steaming water slashing at his skin made him tingle all over. He bravely held his face under the water, and flinched as liquid attacked the delicate skin around his eyes. He needed to rid his skin of the feel of Azkaban, and only elbow grease or high pressure would get into his pores and flush out the cold, slimy essence of the gaol. And showers were very relaxing. They also gave Remus a chance for a wee bit of privacy, and a short space of time to think - just to let his mind wander while his body was pleasantly tortured by wonderfully warm water.  
  
So it was with great annoyance that Remus was broken out of his daydream by someone banging on the bathroom door. Scowling, Remus turned off the shower taps and poked his head around the curtain. The bathroom was thick as cucumber soup with mist, and he had to squint to see the door. He reached out a hand and twiddled the lock. "What is it?" he asked, rather miffed, as Maria slipped into the bathroom. "Jeez Remus!" She exclaimed. "It's like breathing in a wool blanket in here! How hot's that water?" "Is that all you came to say?" Remus snapped uncharacteristically. Maria raised her eyebrows. "No, I came to say Snape, Moody, Calypso and Sirius have just arrived. Thought you'd want to know," She said gently.  
  
Remus froze, and then warm relief flooded across his face. "Oh. Oh, that's brilliant!" He seemed to sag a bit, and then perked up. "Are they here, or at BAFHQ?" "In the lounge," Maria replied. "I'm serving them Lamingtons and Tea, and trying to keep Sirius and Snape apart. And since you have spent half an hour in the shower already, I hoped you'd give up trying to drown yourself and help me."  
  
"Give me two minutes." Remus was already out of the shower, towelling himself off.  
  
Remus was done in one and a quarter, and Moody for one was very glad to see him arrive in the lounge, as Sirius and Snape looked ready to tear each other's throats out. Moody was onto his fourth coffee, Snape his second Earl Grey, Sirius his second Jasmine, and Calypso hadn't touched her lamington or cuppa.  
  
"...in the first place if you had have used your brain and held the door open!" Sirius snarled.  
  
"Used my brain?" Snape sneered back. "This from the man who spent five minutes trying to leap through solid brick walls?"  
  
"Not in my house you don't!" Remus announced firmly as he walked into his lounge.  
  
"Don't what?" Sirius asked innocently.  
  
"Bicker. No, don't argue." Remus cut Sirius off in mid-protest. "Tell me what on earth you have gotten up to. Or more importantly, where on earth you have been." Remus settled into an empty purple couch.  
  
Sirius looked around impishly. "Well, we're quite sure we were on earth, but exactly where we were was a mystery."  
  
Moody shot Sirius an impatient look. "Will you let me tell the story? It's been a stressful day for all of us, and I'm not in the mood for smart remarks."  
  
Sirius, sulking, sipped his tea. Snape smirked antagonisingly at him again, causing Sirius to suddenly snap and hurl his cup of Jasmine tea across the room and across Snape's sallow face.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" Snape screamed as the hot liquid hit the side of his face. Leaping to his feet, he grasped his burnt skin and tried to run forward. Instead he fell over the coffee table as the others scrambled helplessly to their feet and scrabbled for wands.  
  
"SHIT!" "SIRIUS YOU MORON!"  
  
However, it was Maria who had the presence of mind to throw the pitcher of milk at Snape and cool down his skin, possibly saving him from severe scarring.  
  
It was some moments late when things settled down again. Snape was sent off to St. Mungo's to get his face seen to, and Sirius was sent to BAFHQ in disgrace to make a formal report of the happenings of the day. Maria magicked up a bucket and cloth and got down on her hands and knees and started cleaning up the milk from the pitcher than had missed Snape's face and found its way into the carpet. Remus collapsed on the couch, head in hands, and Moody started on his fifth coffee.  
  
"This has been the day from hell," Remus mumbled.  
  
Moody raised his bushy eyebrows. "Try mine."  
  
Remus sat up. "Do tell. Where in Merlin's name did you four disappear to?"  
  
Moody rolled his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "Well," he said with relish, promising a long, drawnout story, "it all started when Calypso fell through the window of the briefing room and onto Sirius."  
  
Maria interrupted. "Where is Calypso?" she said with concern. Moody jerked a thumb to the open doorway, through which Remus could see Calypso sitting in the windowseats in the Kitchen, which was bathed in the last of the dying sunset. Sitting there, bathed in gold-red light was Calypso, legs tucked around the side of her body, studying intently from a large leather book. Remus frowned. "Where did that book com-"  
  
"Let me finish." Moody cut in. With a final curious glance, Remus concentrated on the old man. "She'd been to St. Mungo's. Said she thought that boyfriend of hers had been hurt in a skirmish, but turns out it was just a Quidditch injury. Then she met a crazy woman in the corridors of St Mungo's who told her to go through the invisible door in the old Auror ruins."  
  
Comprehension dawned across Remus' face, and Maria gave a satisfied 'tsk' as she sopped up spilt milk.  
  
"So somehow we stupidly agreed to go and check it out. I couldn't see the door," Moody sounded annoyed, as if failing to see the door reflected his abilities as an Auror, "even with my eye. But it was there, and we just waltzed through it. Shoulda guessed it wasn't a normal door. It was a Portal to somewhere right out in the countryside - a little funny bricked area with walls on all four sides. Couldn't get over the walls, couldn't use spells. There was no way out - apart from this stupid door with it's hinges just bolted to the wall." Moody took another sip of coffee. "We spent ages in that damned courtyard. Stinking hot, too. And then Snape got us out of there. Split the door in half - it's hard to explain - and revealed the tunnel out of there. This is where we made yet another stupid, dumb mistake. We galloped, all gung-ho down the stairs and surprise, surprise, the doors closed behind us."  
  
"What sort of tunnel was this?" Maria had paused in her mopping up.  
  
Moody thought for a few seconds. "Dark. And very cold. Quite wet - the steps were all slimy and streaked with grime. Calypso slipped over a few times and barrelled into Sirius. But the moment the doors closed, the torches burst into light." "So there we were, hobbling down the steps, going down, oh, I don't know, stories and stories. The tunnel wound around and around - I got totally disorientated. But it finally levelled out into this huge chamber." Moody's voice dropped to a hoarse whisper - a growl, really. "Gave me the collywobbles. This enormous chamber carved out of the rock - bigger than the Great Hall at Hogwarts, yeah, and the same height."  
  
Maria looked suitably impressed, and Remus wondered if he was over- exaggerating. Then he realised it was Moody speaking. If anything, the old man tended to under-exaggerate.  
  
"All over the floor were bones of small rodents - rats, mice and the like. They'd been vapourised by - " Moody paused for effect and leaned closer to Remus. " -an Amber Spellshield!" Moody leaned back, this conspiratorial piece of evidence delivered. Maria whistled. Remus looked stunned.  
  
"A good old piece of 14th century magic, still alive and kicking. Couldn't believe it." Moody shook his head, recalling the strange scene. "And it was the only thing in that whole bloody hall. So there we were, wandering around this torchlit damp underground hole looking for a way out, when Sirius gives a yell. He had been wandering around the Amber Spellshield - Sirius seems magnetically attracted to danger - and there's something under the shield."  
  
"Sirius and trouble always find each other," Remus murmured. "What was under the shield?"  
  
"A desk," Moody said crisply, folding his arms. "That's all. No door, no rubies and riches. Just a desk. Wooden, possibly oak. Four legs, top, one drawer. An inkpot, two quills. And-" Moody swung an arm around dramatically to point towards Calypso, who was still pouring over her book. "-one book, and two crystal balls."  
  
"Really?" Maria said skeptically. "How did you get past an Amber Spellshield?"  
  
Moody gave a rueful grin. "Sirius and danger always find each other. Calypso and disaster are a combination that pops up with alarming regularity." His twisted smile dropped. "We were all walking around the Spellshield - it was obviously our only way out - and Calypso rolled her ankle on a rat's skull, and did a very impressive belly-flop straight into the sheild."  
  
Remus winced. "So you all went through?"  
  
"No, it would only let Calypso through. It spat sparks at the rest of us." Moody sighed. "I think I aged ten years today." He took another swig of coffee. "Anyway, Calypso investigated the desk, and picked up the book, totally ignoring our instructions for her to touch nothing. And as soon as she grabbed the book, the Amber Spellshield dissipated, and a door appeared on the far wall. Not surprisingly, we scarpered up the provided flight of stairs. Came out in the bottom vaults of Gringotts - the Goblins were NOT impressed when we emerged. Found the nearest Flooport in Diagon Ally and came straight here." Moody sighed again. "So, what did you get up to today?"  
  
It was Maria that spoke. "You know Spicier, the Azkaban Warden? He was murdered last night, while at Azkaban."  
  
Moody froze for a moment, and then tightened his grip around his coffee cup. "How? Who?" He said unsteadily.  
  
"We have no idea," Remus replied softly. "There's absolutely no evidence whatsoever."  
  
Suddenly as Remus spoke, there was a gentle ringing from under the coffee table.  
  
Maria, Remus and Moody looked expectantly at each other. "Yours?" Maria asked Moody. Moody shook his head. "My Pocket Foe Detector vibrates and whirrs, it doesn't ring," he replied.  
  
Maria got to her feet and tracked the sound to under the coffee table, and pulled out of the mess of broken china and wet carpet a small black orb that was chiming.  
  
"Oh," Moody said, "that's one of those crystal balls Calypso took from that desk. I wonder why it's making that noise."  
  
Maria cradled the small ball in her cupped hands. It was very heavy for its size, and was a strange shade of black. "Funny colour," Maria noted. "It's quite reddish. Like dried blood."  
  
"Calypso has got the other one with her - it's just a normal white crystal ball," Moody informed Maria as she went and sat beside Remus. "Notice the crack on this one - pity, it would have made a nice paperweig-"  
  
He was cut off by Maria's gasp. What Moody had taken for a crack Maria had recognised as a vein of pearly Quartz. And suddenly something in the quartz shifted and white liquid rock streamed out of the vein and through the black ball. "It's forming words," Remus mumbled. Indeed the liquid swirled and ran together, criss-crossing and winding to form spidery luminous cream lettering across the top of the ball.  
  
"Wormtail" Remus read out loud, and instantly the chiming stopped and the letters ran wetly back into the quartz vein, leaving the crystal ball as blank as the three Aurors' minds.  
  
There was a thud and a squeak as Calypso burst through the open door into the Lounge. "Moody, where did you put that little black- aha!!!" She exclaimed excitedly. Deftly nabbing the dark crystal ball from Maria, Calypso gazed at it with delight. "What is that thing?" Remus asked, and told Calypso quickly what had just happened.  
  
Calypso nodded. "What question did you ask it?"  
  
Remus frowned. "Question?"  
  
"Yes, you must have asked it a question........." looking at the blank faces around her, Calypso tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and grinned. "Watch."  
  
Taking the ball in both hands, she shook it briefly and then said loudly "Where is Ben?" The soft ringing started again, and Calypso turned the ball around to show the puzzled Aurors the glowing white letters forming the words "St Mungo's" on the dark surface. Moody read the word out loud and the chiming stopped.  
  
"It answers questions," Calypso said delightedly. "Virginia left it to me. Only it doesn't answer every question of course, just ones that Virginia knew the answers to. And then you've got to ask it the right sort of questions. And you can't confuse it. And you've got to shake it between questions or it tries answering all sorts of questions at once. Virginia says it's to go to Dumbledore."  
  
Maria pointed to a chair. "Sit and explain coherently."  
  
"Wait," Calypso begged, dancing on the spot, "let me get the rest of the stuff." Without waiting for an answer, she dashed out of the room and returned with another crystal ball, a piece of paper and a fat leather- bound book tucked under her arm, all of which she dumped ceremoniously upon the coffee table. "This is the stuff that was on that table in that dungeon thing. Read the letter." She handed a large stiff piece of paper to Remus, who began to read the inky spidery letters.  
  
Dear Calypso,  
  
If I can still contact you, ignore this. If you haven't heard from me in a while, I'm sorry. St. Peter was risking a lot by letting me lurk outside the Pearly Gates to contact you, and I can't blame him for getting cold feet about this plan, as no-one is allowed out of the Gates, period.. I expected Peter to pike eventually. I mean, after Keeping The Gates, who wants to be demoted to Processing New Arrivals? But since the Fates have guided you here, it doesn't really matter. Congratulations on getting this far. But don't get lax, there's still a lot to do dear. Don't mess it up. I spent my whole life setting all this up for you to find and use. Please don't ruin it all.  
  
There are three important things under this Spellshield. Firstly, my old Crystal Ball - it's the white one. It's got threads of Opal through it, and it's a brilliant Scrying ball. Cost me a fortune, so treat it gently. This is to replace your Crystal Ball that Harry broke. Don't blame the clumsy boy, it was meant to happen.  
  
The other crystal ball - the black one - is very special. Lose it or break it and I'll haunt you for the rest of your life, and beyond. It's my Prophecy Journal, put into a Crystal Ball. I've set it up so that you can ask it questions, and it'll reply if I have had dreams or visions about it. So you can bug it instead of me with queries. It's not perfect, but I did the best I could. Remember to shake it between questions, ask questions slowly and clearly, and think about the kind of questions you ask. The best are yes/no questions, or questions with definite answers. Don't ask it stuff like "What shall I do now?" Instead ask "Should I go with Dumbledore or Moody?"  
  
Talking about Dumbledore, this ball is to go to Dumbledore. He'll be able to use it best. And whatsmore, it should take an awful lot of pressure off you. Maybe the Aurors will even decide to let you go back home. The book is for you. The Divination Textbooks used in schools are complete codswallop, and I always swore that I'd write a proper one to replace them. Well, things happened and I never got around to getting it published. So here's my Magnum Opus - it needs to be edited and properly typeset. Please get it published. Feel free to claim the royalties - I have no use for them nowadays. But make sure this book gets into Magical Schools around the world - this is by no means the last crisis the world is going to experience, and we need to properly train those young Divinators. Get a copy to a little red-head girl at Hogwarts - she needs a crash-course in proper divination before Voldemort really starts getting powerful. If you manage to do nothing right in your entire life, just get the book to the little red-head. You think you are saving the world? Your adventures are mere candyfloss at the fairground compared to the roller- coaster ride she's going to take. Also read the book and learn it yourself. You may find it useful.  
  
Well, I suppose that's about all.  
  
Don't mess this up. Think before you act. Listen to Remus, Maria and Moody. And Dumbledore. In fact, don't leave Moody's side. That way you are less likely to end up causing catastrophes.  
  
You are a good kid. I'll see you at the Pearly Gates.  
  
Virginia.  
  
PS - Promise me you won't mess this up.  
  
"Well," Maria said as Remus finished. "How strange."  
  
Moody had picked up the black Crystal Ball and was peering at it with his magical eye. "Fantastic," he murmured. "Last time it said 'Wormtail.' And I had just asked who had killed Spicier........ no wonder there was no trail - of course no-one throught of searching the drainage pipes for the killer."  
  
"Ask it a question," Remus said, a curious glint in his eye.  
  
Moody shook the ball, and then paused. "What shall I ask?"  
  
"Where will the Death Eaters attack next?" Maria said clearly.  
  
The ball started ringing, and the words that spread across the ball cast a chill down the backs of those reading  
  
"Azkaban, or Hogwarts."  
  
Moody shook the ball again.  
  
"When?" he asked urgently.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Wrong sort of question," Calypso said quietly. "Pass it here, Moody." He did so, Calypso shook the ball.  
  
"When will the Death Eaters attack Azkaban or Hogwarts next?" she asked.  
  
The ball started chiming again, and Calypso paused before giving the answer.  
  
"Tonight."  
  
Calypso shut the door behind her with a sigh of relief. She was rather tired, as the adrenaline from the day's discoveries had finally ebbed away. What was left were very sore calves from climbing around under the Gringott's vaults.  
  
But as Calypso trotted down the spiral staircase from Dumbledore's office, euphoria flooded back. She studied the piece of notepaper in her hand that Dumbledore had given her.  
  
Remus, Moody, Maria and Calypso had instantly Flooed to Hogsmeade and then trekked up the road to Hogwarts to see the Headmaster and hand over the Black Crystal Ball, as per Virginia's wishes.  
  
It was Calypso's first visit to the School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, and she was completely gobsmacked. While striding with the others unerringly through the twisting corridors to Professer Dumbeldore's office with the others, she was told by Remus that she looked like a goldfish. At that Calypso made sure her mouth wasn't hanging open in awe and stopped staring at every tapestry, painting, ghost, staircase and student.  
  
When in Dumbledore's office she peered out the windows of his round tower, dazzled at the extent of the castle and it's grounds. Kindly, Dumbledore had realised that she wasn't interested in retelling the day's events yet again, and had written her directions explaining how to get to Fleur Delacour's rooms.  
  
Fleur. It wasn't actually that long since Calypso had seen the French trainee Auror, but it seemed like eons ago. And Calypso was lonely for some good girly company, so it was with much excitement that she was powering down the stairwell, studying Dumbledore's note.  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, turn left.  
At the 5th intersection, turn right. At the staircase, go across to the lower level IF the above staircase runs  
left to right. If it runs at an angle, backtrack and find the tapestry with a large Oak tree on it. Press the red  
brick in the wall that is about level with the bird in the tapestry and follow the secret passage that will  
appear. IF you went across the staircase before, turn left, go through the door,  
turn right and go up the spiral staircase and to the end of the corridor. Watch out for the eighteenth step  
up - it's sticky. Turn right and go across the staircase if it still points the same way you saw it from below.  
If it doesn't, wait for it to change. IF you went down the secret passage behind the tapestry, turn right, and  
then left at the second-to-last intersection on that corridor. But if Peeves is down that corridor, you'd  
better take the third-to-last door  
beside the gargoyle..............  
  
Calypso started to feel a little anxious. Hogwarts gave the impression that you could wander around the vast corridors for years and never find what you were looking for.  
  
So it didn't even surprise Calypso herself when she found herself hopelessly lost - things had started to go wrong after she encountered Peeves......... perhaps she should have taken the middle door after the staircase........  
  
Her hair was falling down out of its ponytail, so she pulled the hairtie out and twiddled it in her fingers while she tried in vain to work out where she should go from her current position. She sighed, and the noise echoed off the stone walls eerily. Calypso tried a few more turnings, and managed to get even more muddled, but found a window to peer out of. She was still on the same side of the castle as Dumbledore's office, as the view was much the same - the lake, a large brooding forest, Hogsmeade in the distance, a few small buildings and vast meadows - but she was far to the right and a few floors lower than before. This particular wing of Hogwarts was deserted - there was a faint musty unused smell and the overhead windows illuminated the hovering dust Calypso's sandals were kicking up. Also, Calypso could no longer hear the classroom ruckus seeping from underneath closed classroom doors - there wasn't even anyone around to ask for directions.  
  
She was just formulating a plan of action - to work her way down to ground level and find the Great Hall and someone who could give her better instructions - when Calypso heard footsteps slapping on the marble floors around the far corner by a large oval painting.  
  
Calypso smiled with relief - finally, human life!!! - and started towards the footsteps before stopping suddenly. The person approaching was muttering to himself in a low voice, and Calypso knew that disgruntled snarl. Snape.  
  
She rolled her eyes. The last person she wanted to encounter now was Snape in a bad mood. Especially after today's adventures. Calypso quickly weighed up the options, and decided she'd rather stay lost than ask Snape for help. She leapt nimbly behind a large Coat of Armour and held her breath.  
  
Snape turned down her corridor and swept past Calypso's hiding place like an ill-tempered, rattling petrol tanker in black robes. Calypso's nose wrinkled at the smell, and realised it must be the ointment the St. Mungo's staff had gooped onto Snape's tea-scalded face. Calypso was torn between amusement and compassion for Snape, eventually settling on amusement. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as Snape disappeared around the corner, and then slipped out from behind the Coat of Armour.  
  
Suddenly there were voices from right behind her.  
  
"Fred, just look at what's dragged itself inside!"  
  
Calypso whirled around, and with her elbow accidentally knocked the spear the Coat of Armour was equipped with. The clang it gave as it hit the Armour rang densely down the corridor and wiped the wide grins off Fred and George Weasley's freckled faces.  
  
"Cripes, Snape will hear that!" Fred - no, maybe George - said in a low voice. And indeed Calypso could hear Snape's disappearing footsteps pause, and then start returning. She forgot her astonishment at seeing the Twins, whom she had played a game of Quidditch against a while ago, and scowled. "Bugger."  
  
However the twins gave a mischievous smile and grabbed her elbow. "So you want to avoid old Snapey as much as we do? Smart lass! To Myrtle's bathroom!" he said, and before Calypso could react, the twins deftly steered her down a maze of twisting corridors, tunnels and stairs at a dogtrot.  
  
And surely enough they stopped at a bathroom. A girl's bathroom at least, so it was clean - but a bit wet on the floor, and rather dim.  
  
"Oh good, Myrtle's not here," One of the twins said, peering into each cubicle. The other twin sat on the edge of a handbasin and grinned at Calypso again.  
  
"Who's Myrtle?" Calypso asked.  
  
"A disgruntled ghost who usually mopes around here. Don't worry about her, she's probably perving on the Prefects in their bathroom. Isn't that right, Fred?"  
  
The other twin came over. "Which is the reason why my dear brother and I turned down the offer of becoming Prefects. We like to attend to our toilet in private."  
  
"Bullcrap." Calypso said before she could help herself. "You weren't asked to be prefects because you are far too much trouble, I bet."  
  
George tsked and Fred looked affronted. For a second, and then they both grinned again. It seemed to be the shape their mouths formed naturally.  
  
"On a more serious note, what in Merlin's name are you doing wandering around the North-West Wing passages, Calypso? It is Calypso, isn't it?" George asked, simultaneously delivering Calypso a friendly back-slap.  
  
"I should ask what you two are doing avoiding Snape in the North-West Wing passages!" Calypso asked mischievously.  
  
"You first." Fred said.  
  
"I'm trying to find Fleur Delacour's rooms-"  
  
Both boys burst into laughter. "You and every other pubescent boy in Hogwarts!!!"  
  
"Oh no, poor girl. I'm just paying her a visit while Maria, Remus and Moody talk to Dumbledore."  
  
"You mean Remus Lupin? Professer Lupin? And Professer Moody are both here?"  
  
Calypso nodded. She'd heard offhand that they'd both taught at Hogwarts previously.  
  
The twins exchanged looks. "Do you think..." Fred started.  
  
"Yes, we should," George finished.  
  
"Should what?" Calypso asked.  
  
"We've got some stuff to tell Moody," George said vaguely. "Here, if we take the shortcut through the tower we can go past Miss Fleur's rooms on the way to Dumbledore's office."  
  
And as quickly as they had whisked Calypso to Myrtle's bathroom, they whisked her out and through another dizzying complex system of doors, passages and flights of stairs. At one point they stopped and skirted a large sunlit patch on the corridor floor. Calypso asked why, and was Informed mischievously that she really didn't want to know. Calypso correctly concluded that the twins had laid some sort of booby-trap there.  
  
Quite soon George stopped in front of a large oak door. "Miss Fleur's quarters, as promised! We'll leave you here Calypso - sorry to abandon you, but we have to see Moody now."  
  
"Thanks heaps." Calypso was wheezing slightly - the twins set a cracking pace through the corridors and it was hard keeping up. "I really owe you one!"  
  
"Don't owe us anything - just promise you'll always play on our Opponent's Quidditch team!" Fred said as the boys started trotting off.  
  
Calypso grinned, remembering the Quidditch game she had played with the Weasleys - she had been more help to the opposition than her own team. She turned and knocked hard on Fleur's door.  
  
There was a pause, and then.....  
  
"FOR THE LAST TIME, GO AWAY!" a voice roared from behind the door.  
  
Calypso jumped. "Fleur? It's me, Calypso Grey. Is this a bad time or something?" she called uncertainly.  
  
Another pause, and then the door was thrown open and the magnificent figure of Ms. Fleur Decalour leapt out and threw her arms around Calypso.  
  
"CALYPSO!!! Oh, why did you not say so at first? I thought you were another of those wretched boys again!" Fleur squeezed Calypso till she squeaked, and then dragged Calypso into her quarters before the rather stunned girl could utter another word.  
  
Fleur's 'apartment' consisted of three rooms - a large sitting room cum office, a medium sized bedroom, and a tiny bathroom, all with a view of the mountains. Calypso sprawled across the ancient green consulting couch in the corner while Fleur sat primly at her rather ostentatious desk chair, both eating Fleur's stash of Chocolate Frogs.  
  
"But he can't be that bad, Fleur!" Calypso said around her mouthful of chocolatey goodness.  
  
Fleur shook her head miserably. "Professer Doolagan is terrible. He just goes...... goes to pieces in front of the class, every time he starts to talk! And then the students will snigger and he'll get worse, and then all flustered! And then he'll excuse himself with some silly made-up reason, and leave me to teach the class....." She rested her head in her hands. "I'm only supposed to be a Student Teacher, a support. In all reality, we Student Teachers are here just to maintain order at Hogwarts and maybe try and teach when all the Professors are called away to fight the Death Eaters. I do my best, but I cannot teach the classes! The Dark Arts are too complex for me to instruct, especially at the upper levels. And in these times, our students need to learn about the Dark Arts as much as possible..." Fleur looked tired, Calypso noticed. She had bags under her eyes and much of her lively French spirit had seeped away.  
  
"I don't know what to do!" Fleur finished desperately. Calypso thought she was about to cry. "And those boys...they follow me around everywhere, about eight at a time. Like little puppies. Everyone just laughs at me, I know it. I don't know how to make them go away."  
  
Neither did Calypso, and it was with great luck for her that the door opened and William Knight strolled in.  
  
"Will!" Calypso exclaimed with delight. He was another Student Teacher at Hogwarts, whom Calypso had met while Will, like Fleur, was an Apprentice Auror before 'restructuring' meant the apprentices were shuffled into babysitting at Hogwarts.  
  
Will stared at Calypso, and then gave his trademark wide grin and brushed blonde hair out of his eyes. "Well if it isn't the elusive and cunning Calypso Grey!" he said with relish and leapt onto the couch beside Calypso. "How is life treating you?"  
  
"Well, I'm still alive," Calypso replied candidly. "How is teaching going?"  
  
"Brilliant!" Will replied passionately. "I love teaching, and being back at Hogwarts."  
  
"Professer McGonagall keeps him busy," Fleur commented. Will was the Transfiguration Student Teacher.  
  
"Fleur thinks McGonagall is a mean hag," Will told Calypso. "But the old witch is a sweetie, really. You've just got to know how to push her buttons."  
  
Fleur rolled her eyes. "Greaser."  
  
"No I'm not."  
  
"Are too."  
  
"Am not."  
  
"Are too."  
  
"Am n- Oh, I haven't come here to argue with you again," Will said with a laugh. "Message from Dumbledore - we are on a Code 1 Alert tonight, and we all have to be ready to catch a Portkey out at any time."  
  
The glittery smile dropped from Fleur's face. "So you were right, Calypso!"  
  
"Course I was," Calypso said huffily.  
  
Will looked confused. "Sorry, I don't understand. Why is Calypso right?"  
  
Quickly Calypso told Will of what had happened that day, and what the Black Crystal Ball had said would happen tonight. Will narrowed his eyes and whistled. "They must be taking it pretty seriously if they've issued a Code 1 Alert. That means that everyone, even us Students, will be on our tiptoes tonight.  
  
"D'ya reckon it will be Hogwarts or Azkaban they will attack?" Will asked.  
  
Fleur pursed her lips. "If they were smart, they would release their comrades in Azkaban before trying to destroy Hogwarts."  
  
"Yes, but I wouldn't credit most Death Eaters with much intelligence," Calypso said tiredly.  
  
They pondered this in silence for a moment, and then Calypso shivered. "Yuck, Azkaban. If you end up going there tonight, bring your winter woollies. And a hot water bottle. It's a horrible place, Azkaban. Makes you feel so horribly cold all the time, right down to the marrow in your bones."  
  
Fleur nodded. She and Will both knew Calypso had spent a few nightmareish days at the prison.  
  
Just then there was a roaring whoosh from Fleur's fireplace, and Remus' face appeared in the hearth, making Calypso jump and let out a strangled squeak.  
  
"Calypso, we're going now. You'd better come ba- oh, is that you William? And Fleur?" Remus said.  
  
"Hullo Mr. Lupin," they replied in unison.  
  
"Could you two please guide Calypso back to Dumbledore's tower? We need to get home and have some food and a nap before tonight's big adventures." Remus did look very tired.  
  
Back at Remus' house, tucked up in her bed with covers pulled up to her neck, Calypso tried to get to sleep. It was hard, especially when she knew what was coming ahead tonight. Dumbledore's office was a hotbed of activity when Remus, Maria, Moody and Calypso had left - there were owls in a constant stream leaving and arriving, and the fireplace contained many people's heads, jostling for prime position in the red-orange flames, all jabbering away excitedly. Calypso would hate to see what the over-crowded Auror HQ looked like at the moment. From what Calypso could gather, Aurors were secretly slipping into Azkaban to create a mini-army on hand in case the Death Eater attacked there. At the same time, other Aurors were gathering at Hogwarts. The Black Crystal Ball had shed no new light on the exact place of attack - it still said either Hogwarts, or Azkaban. Calypso wondered if it would be both.  
  
She sighed and rolled over in her bed to look at the sun streaming from under the curtain. It was still light outside, but she was trying to get as much shut-eye as possible. It was impossible though. All I want to do, Calypso thought, is go to the beach and run around on the beach. Oooh yes, and swim in the waves and have a picnic on the beach and play in the sand and make sandcastles with moats and play soccer on the beach and..................  
  
Sandcastles.  
  
Sandcastles........  
  
Suddenly it hit her like a Mac truck, and Calypso leapt out of bed like she'd been electrocuted.  
  
Sandcastles! She'd had a dream about sandcastles a while back. And one was Hogwarts, and the other was Azkaban. And there had been some message with it, but she couldn't quite remember what.....  
  
Calypso threw an old tartan dressing gown around her shoulders and dashed out into the Lounge, startling Moody and Remus, who were in the middle of a deep, meaningful discussion. She grabbed her Dream Diary from underneath the Coffee table, leapt into an empty couch and began leafing through pages.  
  
"Calypso, what are you doing out of bed?" Moody scolded Calypso like a small child.  
  
She kept flicking through pages and mumbling. Suddenly she stopped not far from the end and gave a grin of triumph.  
  
"I'd forgotten all about it!" Calypso said absently to Moody. "Do you remember when I had that horrible meeting with the Auror Council? And I told them all about the dream with Sandcastles?"  
  
"Yes," Remus said. "Don't worry Calypso, we remember it perfectly. And it's what the Auror Council is discussing right at this moment."  
  
Calypso looked crestfallen. "Oh. I'd forgotten all about it..."  
  
"We didn't," Moody growled. "A prediction that tells us that either Hogwarts or Azkaban will be destroyed we regard as pretty important. Especially when that prediction tells us that we have to make a decision about which one we will save! And then when it's followed with a prediction about the attack being tonight...."  
  
"Not the sort of thing we'd forget," Remus followed up.  
  
"Oh," Calypso repeated. "So what's happening? Is the whole British Auror Force going to try and defend just one castle? Or both of them? Or don't you know?"  
  
Moody smoothed out creases in his inky robes. "It's anybody's guess. The Council is fighting it out at the moment. Some say that Hogwarts should be saved and Azkaban left to fall. Others say we should defend Azkaban and evacuate Hogwarts. Then others say we should try and save both."  
  
"It's a hard decision," Remus noted sagely. "I wouldn't want to make it. I'm very fond of Hogwarts, but I know how important Azkaban is."  
  
Moody just hurrumphed scottishly, and turned his attentions to the tartan dressing-gowned Calypso. "Now girlie, before things start getting messy, is there anything important that you want to tell us? Anything at all?"  
  
Calypso paused. Yes, there was something that Ben made her promise to tell, but she didn't really want to. Remus and Moody waited.  
  
"Why do you ask?" she said, innocently.  
  
Remus leant forward and picked up a piece of parchment from the coffee table. "The BAF just got a message from Kerian, our spy in the Death Eater camp."  
  
Calypso held her breath. Kerian was a childhood friend of hers. Like Calypso, Kerian's parents were Death Eaters, and Kerian had been an active member since her was small. And after over twenty years of Death Eater activity, he was trapped in an organisation that he couldn't leave. Instead, he was feeding information to the Aurors, at the risk of his life.  
  
"He was quite panicked. Told us that the attack was to be at Azkaban, and it was to be tonight."  
  
"Which we already knew, but it's nice to get it confirmed," Moody added.  
  
"He also said that they've got some novel attacks lined up. He doesn't know what they are, everything is hush-hush, but one involves a small wooden box, and another is centred around an Auror, who is a traitor. He said he heard Octavia and Wormtail laughing about it. Apparently, we'll never guess who the traitor is."  
  
"No-one on our side is a turncoat! I know everyone personally, and my foe detectors and my eye didn't detect anything," Moody said, furiously. He was obviously annoyed at the mere suggestion of an Auror turning out to be a Death Eater.  
  
"If it's true, or if it's not, it doesn't matter. But we've got to keep on our toes, if they've got strange attacks. That's why I'm asking, have you dreamed or seen anything... unusual lately?"  
  
"Well..." Calypso chewed on a strand of blonde hair nervously.  
  
Ben had made her promise to tell Moody and Remus about the latest dream. In it, Calypso watched herself be murdered. But that didn't involve a traitor. Just Calypso dying.  
  
It flooded into her mind as she chewed on the gritty strands of hair, and a shudder ran up her back. "...do you want a cup of tea?" she said awkwardly carefully not catching Remus' concerned and Moody's suspicious eyes.  
  
Offering to make tea for someone in Remus' house wasn't as charitable as it sounded. All the 'generous' person had to do is walk into the kitchen and ask Fridge and Pantry to whip up the order.  
  
"How many teaspoons does Mr. Moody have in his coffee, Calypso dear?" Fridge fretted.  
  
"Oh.... four, I think." Calypso replied absently.  
  
"And it was Earl Grey for Remus, right?" Fridge was making strange banging and sloshing noises. Pantry was working in affronted silence due to Calypso's mere presence in the room, but Calypso didn't notice, or care. She was wound up in her thoughts, and she needed someone to talk to.  
  
"Fridge......"  
  
"Yes luv?"  
  
"Do you have a minute?"  
  
Fridge slowed, then stopped her busy noises. "Why yes, the cuppas can wait. What do you want me to do?" it replied chirpily.  
  
"Oh.... no, I don't want you to do anything." Calypso replied awkwardly. "I just wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Oh! Well then!" Fridge sounded pleased. "Nobody ever asks me anything. Fire away!"  
  
Calypso paused for a moment and swung on her kitchen chair. "Fridge, if you.... I mean, saying if......just hypothetically........ if I.... I mean, if I had a friend........" Calypso was getting flummoxed after a few words. She stopped and took a deep breath.  
  
"What I'm trying to say, is that supposing that an occasion cropped up where you knew something very, very bad was going to happen to you tonight. I mean, some night. Would you tell anyone?" Calypso asked sheepishly.  
  
Fridge was confused. "Well...... I guess, depending on what the bad thing was. How bad would it be?"  
  
Calypso stood up and started pacing around the little kitchen table. "As bad as bad can be! They don't get any badder! But if there's nothing you can do, because it's fate, and it'd just hurt people to get involved, shouldn't you just stay quiet?"  
  
"Well...... I don't-"  
  
"Exactly!" Calypso thundered. "But even if I - I mean, if you promised someone that you'd tell everyone, then it'd be kinder, and a matter of common decency to break your promise to that person and not tell anyone, because it's such a horrible stressful heartbreaking thing, and I wouldn't want anyone to put anyone through such a thing."  
  
"If you put it like that, I suppos-"  
  
"And then it'd all be over nice and quick. Because no matter what anyone did they wouldn't be able to change things, I know. And I don't like what's going to happen, but it's going to happen no matter what! But I guess that's what Virginia was talking about all that time. I've just got to grow up and accept things, and take them like an adult."  
  
"Wo.... uh..... so whe-"  
  
"So I'll just not tell them," Calypso whispered. She had stopped pacing, and was staring out of the window. "I owe it to them. I've caused them all enough heartache already. And I don't thing I actually have the guts to tell Remus."  
  
Fridge didn't know what to say. This conversation was spiralling out of control.  
  
"Or Sirius. Or Maria or Moody or Angelina. Oh god, Ben and Ria and Mel and everyone...... I couldn't do it. Just couldn't. So much easier just to keep mum. I've got so many secrets, what's one more?"  
  
There was a quiet period. Then Calypso whirled around, a big smile on her previously troubled face.  
  
"Thanks, Fridge! I really needed to get that off my chest. Amazing what talking through a problem does. Now, can I get a cup of tea as well?"  
  
"Oh.... sure dear. Happy to be of service," Fridge warbled uncertainly.  
  
In the corner, Pantry stood, listening, thinking.  
  
"So there's nothing you want to tell us?" Moody demanded again over the top of his coffee cup, fake eye steaming up with condensation.  
  
"No, I wish there was!" Calypso said with a dramatic sigh. "I don't like this tension. I feel so... unprepared. You know, it's like.... exams. You see them coming for ages and ages, and then whoosh! They are upon you, and before you know it, you are smacked in the face with an exam paper and it seemed like yesterday you had two months to revise."  
  
"Or Christmas Day," Maria agreed. "Every year it feels like someone has shifted Christmas Day to the 1st of December without telling me."  
  
"Only this time we don't fail exams, we get killed instead," Moody growled.  
  
There was a pregnant pause.  
  
"Well that killed the mood, didn't it?" Sirius asked cheerfully, looking around Neil Johnson's lounge. "C'mon, other people are arriving. Spit it out, Calypso, if you've got anything to say."  
  
"I've already told you, I've got nothing to say!" Calypso snapped back.  
  
Remus shrugged. "Okay then. Just wanted to know. I know how reticent you are with information."  
  
At that moment the BAF Official Messenger arrived with a whoosh out of the fireplace, spreading charcoal all over Neil's plush carpet. Calypso was the only one who noticed, as all the other people crowded into Neil's house were firmly concentrating on the Messanger.  
  
The Messenger, a lanky teen in badly-fitting Official BAF orange robes, festooned with angry acne and a rather lethargic attitude, was clearly stunned by the amount of people in the room fixated on him. He just stood there for a few moments, staring back at the faces impatiently staring at him.  
  
"You have a message?" Moody said irritably.  
  
"Oh... uh... yes." The teen regained some composure and braced his shoulders in preparation for delivering his important message. "The British Auror Force has voted 7-5 to defend Azkaban tonight."  
  
There was a collective exhaled breath among the listeners, and some started to talk excitedly, but the messenger glared about imperiously until the noise abated, and the he continued.  
  
"The students from Hogwarts will be evacuated to a specialised Safe House in Nottingham at the first signs of any attack on the school. The Auror Board requests that members of Teams 2, 11 and 18 Apparate to BAFHQ immediately, to be stationed at Azkaban. The plan is to drip-feed Aurors into Azkaban as a mass influx of people would be easily noticed. Everyone else is to remain close to their fireplaces, and to await further instructions for deployment.  
  
There was silence while the Aurors thought about what they had just heard. The messenger mumbled a few words about leaving, and quickly departed back through the fireplace.  
  
People started talking in low voices to each other. A few got up and picked up their cloaks from against the wall, and Apparated away to BAFHQ as instructed.  
  
Calypso just thought for a while, and then turned to Moody, who was standing next to her. Following Virginia's advice, she was sticking close to Moody, but now she had a bit of a dilemma. "Moody, what are we supposed to do?"  
  
Moody didn't reply, but continued staring straight ahead and cracked his knuckles frustratedly. It was obvious what was upsetting him - as he had agreed to 'babysit' Calypso, and since there was no justification for Calypso to go to Azkaban, Moody would be sitting out on the action.  
  
Calypso bit her lip, and slipped away to stand next to Remus and Maria, who were talking with Sirius, Neil and a few other wizards. Remus quickly noticed her standing there.  
  
"Before you ask, no, you are not coming. It's far to dangerous," he said firmly. "You'll only be in the way."  
  
Calypso stared back at him. She needed to go to Azkaban - her dreams said that she did. In her dream, she also saw herself murdered, but that wasn't the point. She needed to fulfil the dream. She had just opened her mouth to try and sweetly persuade Remus to change his mind, when Maria interrupted.  
  
"Calypso, could you come with me for a second...." Maria walked over to a secluded corner in the kitchen, and Calypso followed, weaving around huddles of nervous-looking witches and wizards.  
  
"Yes?" Calypso said, curious, as Maria looked thoughtful and dug around in her pocket. She hesitated, and then leant closer to Calypso.  
  
"Remember a while ago, I told you that I have a little bit of the sight myself?" She whispered into Calypso's ear.  
  
"Oh... yes, that's right. That's why you gave me this crystal necklace - you said I was mean to have it." Calypso pulled the little crystal pentagram pendant out from under her shirt.  
  
Maria smiled. "Yes. And there's something else you should have." She slowly pulled out of her pocket a small box and slipped it into Calypso's hand. "In that box is a Portkey to Azkaban. I don't know why, but you need to come to Azkaban tonight. I organised it months ago - I didn't know what for, back then, but I do now."  
  
Looking at Calypso's surprised expression, Maria squeezed her hand tight. "I'm sure it's nothing dangerous, maybe it's just your presence that's needed tonight. Or Moody's. He's a damn good Auror. How about you slip off and tell him what you've got - it might cheer him up a bit!"  
  
It sounded like Maria was the one who needed the cheering up, with her cracking voice and trembling hands, but Calypso was also worrying about herself. It looked like she was going to be murdered after all. With a large, heavy weight in her stomach, she walked over to Moody and whispered a few words in his ear. The effect was instant - his eye lit up and a smile spread across his distorted face.  
  
"Well, we're no use here, are we, Calypso? Better be back off home." He started walking across the room to the fireplace, exchanging solemn nods with aurors he passed. Calypso however, had trotted off to where Sirius and Remus were standing, and quickly enveloped each in a bear-hug.  
  
"Good luck, you two. Don't cause any trouble," she said quietly. "What, us?" Sirius replied, but his heart wasn't in it. Remus gave her a sad smile. "See you tomorrow morning," he said as Calypso walked away to catch up with Moody, who was waiting impatiently beside the fireplace. Calypso felt awful. She wouldn't be alive the next morning.  
  
"Oh, come on Ron! Give it up for the night!" Harry was getting a cramp in his leg and was very tired. With all the homework his teachers had piled on him, and the nightmares he was having, he wasn't getting much sleep. And it seemed that every spare moment that he did wrangle, Ron was pestering him to stalk Fleur Delacour from underneath the Invisibility Cloak.  
  
Which was what the pair was currently doing. Ron was absolutely smitten with Fleur, and just catching a glimpse of her made his day, much to Hermione's disgust. They were standing outside Fleur's room, waiting for her door to open and her visitors to leave - then Ron would be able to gaze, enthralled, at Fleur's beauty for a few seconds before the door was banged in his face.  
  
However, this night Fleur's visitors were staying longer than they usually did - Charmaine and Philip, the other student teachers, seemed to be in some sort of in-depth discussion that showed no signs of abating, despite it being nearly midnight.  
  
"A bit longer Harry! Just a bit!" Ron hissed excitedly.  
  
Harry sighed. He was starting to agree with Hermione - Ron needed dunking in an icy lake.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Harry was about to put his foot down and demand that they give up and return to the Gryffindor Common Room - it was his invisibility cloak they were using, after all - but at that moment there was commotion from inside Fleur's room, and the door swung open. Charmaine Ulliet hurried through the doorway, but a call from inside Fleur's room made her stop.  
  
"Charmaine, there's not time! And Hogwarts will be evacuated soon, you'll never get back through the hallways, they'll be full of panicking students. Just borrow one of Fleur's coats, we're in a hurry!" Philip looked nervous, and was clutching his wand tightly. In the background, Fleur could be seen rifling through her wardrobe, looking for coats.  
  
Ron and Harry were intrigued, and glanced at each other. Evacuating Hogwarts? They both edged closer to the door.  
  
Charmaine hesitated, and then trotted back into Fleur's room, brushing dangerously closely to Ron and Harry. "Do you have another warm one, Fleur? Azkaban is supposed to be really cold." She sounded nervous.  
  
Ron and Harry were even more intrigued, and shuffled closer.  
  
"How does furlined sound, Charmaine?" Fleur said, shaking out a large hooded coat. "It should fit."  
  
Philip was hopping up and down on the spot. "Hurry up, ladies! If we get there too late, the Death Eaters might have already broken out!"  
  
"Hush, Philip!" Charmaine said. "We're just being called up, there's been no attack. Yet, anyhow. They don't expect anything for a few hours yet."  
  
Philip continued fretting.  
  
The Gryffindor boys kept creeping closer, trying to hear more, and suddenly Harry realised they had crept right into Fleur's rooms and were huddled next to the fireplace.  
  
Charmaine dragged on the heavy coat, tucked her wand into a pocket, and nodded at the other two, also heavily cloaked. "Let's go." She said, but her voice was shaking.  
  
Philip grabbed from the mantelpiece, just next to Harry's elbow, a small box, and carefully opened the lid. A small steel orb lay inside on the blue velvet - a Portkey.  
  
"Ready, everyone?" He asked. "On the count of three.... one.... two...."  
  
Suddenly Harry got a burning rush of anger through his stomach. No Death Eaters would be freed from Azkaban tonight, he was going to make sure of it! Before he had even thought, Harry reached out from underneath the invisibility cloak and touched the side of the Portkey as the other three Apprentice Aurors did.  
  
"Harry!" Ron hissed in alarm, and grabbed Harry's arm, trying to drag his friend away. But it was too late, Harry's finger scraped the side of the Portkey, and both Ron and Harry felt a strong tug...........  
  
Moody and Calypso were frantically digging through the piles of boxes in Moody's spare room, looking for a coat for Calypso to wear. Books, toys, photo albums, magazines and general junk was flying.  
  
"Oh, this is stupid," Calypso said eventually, her arms still in the box she was searching. "I don't plan to see any action - I'll just take a blanket and curl up in a corner."  
  
Moody paused, and considered it. "Hmmm." He leapt up and hobbled over to an overturned box, and pulled out a tartan wool blanket. "That's a good idea. Then you won't be able to get into trouble!" He threw it to Calypso, who folded it up and tucked it under her arm.  
  
"Is that all?" She asked, and Moody nodded. "Let's be off, then."  
  
Calypso had already picked up her wand from Remus' house, and a hot water bottle. She couldn't think of what else to take, apart from Puffy, her pet Puffieskien, which Sirius had somehow found for her. She had lost Puffy in the stolen car which had been re-stolen, but Sirius had tracked it down and placed the funny, pinky-cream-coloured hairy thing into her bed when she was feverish and sick. Puffy was very comforting, and was currently purring in her pocket.  
  
"Enthusiastic, are you?" Moody said, eyebrow raised.  
  
"No. But I just hate waiting around," comma Calypso replied with a shaking voice. Truthfully, she was terrified, but Moody didn't notice. He was too delighted to be going into action.  
  
"Right, where's that Portkey then?" He said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.  
  
Moody, Calypso decided, was definitely crazy. She pulled out of her pocket the small box Maria had given her, and opened it up to reveal a metal ball nestled in purple velvet. "Moody..." Calypso said slowly, "... do you think they will let me stay when we arrive?"  
  
The old man snorted. "They'll have better things to do than send us home. And I bet they'll be glad to see me. Someone will find a job for you to do, you'll be out of harm's way, don't worry."  
  
Calypso was still nervous. Moody didn't know that she was supposed to die.... perhaps she should have told someone about that dream, after all....  
  
"Right then. When I say go. Three, two, one....... GO!"  
  
Moody and Calypso touched the Portkey at the same moment, and within seconds had been whisked out of sight.  
  
"Harry, you great big dolt!" Ron hissed between his teeth as another Auror strode past. "What were you thinking?"  
  
Harry grunted, and looked from side to side. He and Ron were trying to shuffle to a less crowded spot on the Azkaban ramparts - Ron had spotted a good place underneath a watchtower to the left. However, getting there was difficult, as highly-strung, alert Auror were patrolling the paths and swingbridges, and as Ron and Harry were now quite tall, they had to move slowly to avoid letting a shoe or ankle peek out from underneath the Invisibility Cloak. The pair waited until the auror had strode around the corner, and then they waddled forward to their spot. Underneath the tall watchtower, there was a slight nook in the path where the boys could loiter without any disturbance. It also had a wide view of the main ramparts, the edge of the fortress, and the deep black forest beyond. Whatsmore, it was out of the freezing wind that was whistling eerily around the fortress. Ron and Harry carefully sat down on the blue-grey stone, tucked their legs up and both shivered.  
  
"God, it's cold!" Harry said, teeth starting to chatter as he rubbed his goose-pimpled arms. Ron huddled closer to his side.  
  
"Never mind the cold," Ron said with concern, "what are we doing here, Harry?"  
  
"We're going to help," He replied. Ron snorted. "Harry, I know you like getting.... well, stuck in.... where Voldemort is concerned, but this is stupid! We are going to freeze to death before anything happens!"  
  
"Sssh!" Harry whispered, as another grim-faced auror rounded the corner, and swept past them. There were at least two hundred Aurors roaming the sprawling rampants of Azkaban, all dressed in black, keeping low. Azkaban was eerily quiet, and any low voices were easily drowned out by the whistling and moaning wind. And the howls and groans from the prisoners in the cells below.  
  
Harry thought for a second, and then replied to Ron's initial question. "When the Death Eaters attack - and I know they will - we will be able to see from whereabouts they'll launch their main attack. We can move around so we can position ourselves neatly, we are up high enough that I don't think we'll be in too much danger. You can help the Aurors pick off the Death Eaters, you're a bloody good shot."  
  
Ron smiled, in spite of himself. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Harry scowled. "I'm going to deal with the Dementors. They'll assist the Death Eaters, I'll bet Firebolt on it!"  
  
Ron was about to reply when another Auror trotted around the corner. However, this Auror was walking slowly and deliberately , and instead of scanning the horizon for possible signs of attack, was staring fixatedly at the tray she was carrying. Obviously concentrating intently on balancing the piles of chocolate, mugs and steaming pots of tea, coffee, and hot pumpkin juice, she weaved erratically about the path, and wandered straight into where Harry and Ron were sitting. Harry's heart froze in his chest, and Ron scrabbled to get out of the way, but at the last moment the Auror swerved to the left to stop the chocolate from sliding off the tray. Both boys sighed in relief, but failed to notice that the corner of the Invisibility Cloak had caught in the Auror's shoe. The slight pull on the Auror's foot was enough to upset her balance considerably, sending her on a dizzying dance, spinning and spiralling, dodging and ducking to try and re-balance herself and the tray. With a squeak, she collided with the wall, and the mugs and jugs of drink slid across the tray to collide with her chest, sloshing their contents about, but amazingly staying upright. The chocolate however, flew off the tray and showered over Harry and Ron.  
  
"Shit!" the auror exclaimed as the chocolate bounced off in all different directions. She put the tray on the edge of the stone wall, and suspiciously drew her wand.  
  
"Oh no." Harry whispered to Ron, as the Auror edged towards where they were huddled, poking the air experimentally with her wand. Suddenly she lunged forward, and stabbed Ron in the forehead.  
  
"OI!" he barked, and the Auror leapt back, startled. She had just opened her mouth to shout for help when Harry piped up.  
  
"Sssssh! Ssssssh please! Calypso! It's just me, Harry!" he begged.  
  
Calypso's mouth dropped. "Harry? What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"That's what I was just asking him," Ron said ruefully, rubbing his forehead as Harry raised the Invisibility Cloak to reveal his and Ron's faces.  
  
"We caught a ride with Fleur," Harry said. "We're here to help."  
  
Calypso just stared for a moment, running her hands through her hair. "Harry, are you mad? This place will be crawling with Death Eaters soon!"  
  
Harry glared at her. "How many other people here can cast a Patronus?" he asked. Calypso just stared.  
  
"Jeez Harry, they were pissed enough about me being here! They're going to spew to find you two!"  
  
"Don't tell them, then." That was Ron. Harry grinned at him - he knew he could rely on Ron in a tough spot. "We'll stay here, out of trouble, until we can be of use. We'll keep a low profile."  
  
Calypso sighed. "You two......" she paused, thinking. Then she gave a resigned sigh. "You two are obviously freezing cold. Coming to Azkaban without a coat! I've got to fetch some more chocolate, finish my rounds with the drinks and chocolate, and then I'll nab some coats for you."  
  
"The chocolate is kind of inedible now," Ron noted, pointing to the chocolate scattered all over the dirty stone flagstones.  
  
"I'll see you soon, then," Calypso said, turning on her heel and disappearing into the inky darkness. She trotted over a series of swingbridges and around the outer walls, down a few flights of steps to the hive of activity - the central courtyard. What was previously a large, dusty, empty enclosure was now packed and buzzing with anticipation. Calypso wormed her way over to a trestle table where a short witch was standing, stirring a large cauldron full of a steaming liquid. "Dot," Calypso said, panting slightly, "I dropped the chocolate."  
  
Dot turned her attention from the Burn Cream to the witch standing in front of her.  
  
"Oh, Calypso, be more careful! Was it a loose flagstone?" Calypso nodded. "Don't worry then, there's heaps more chocolate over the back." Dot nodded her head towards a mountain of boxes. Calypso went around the table and pulled five slabs of Honeyduke's Finest Chocolate from the nearest box. "I also need two more coats for some Aurors out on the upper west rampants." Calypso added, and Dot sighed. "On the rack to my left." Calypso grabbed two large woolly coats and tucked them under her arm. "See you soon, then." "Be careful," Dot replied. She had said the same thing every time Calypso returned for more hot drinks and chocolate - fifteen times now. "Always am," Calypso replied, and hurried back through the crowd, and to where Harry and Ron were turning into blocks of ice. They were immensely grateful for the coats, and looked so pitifully cold that Calypso also gave them her hot water bottle, which she had tucked against her stomach. With a mug of hot pumpkin juice each and handfuls of chocolate, she left them looking a bit perkier. She worried a bit about them, and the trouble to be had when they were finally found, but quickly found that she had bigger problems to deal with.  
  
After delivering refreshments to three pairs of Aurors stationed on the upper west rampants, she came to Remus and Sirius, who were not pleased to see her.  
  
"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing here?" Hissed Sirius.  
  
"Delivering chocolate, coffee, tea, and hot pumpkin juice." She replied, unruffled.  
  
Remus just groaned. "What about Moody?"  
  
Calypso jerked her thumb in the direction of the south wall. "He got stationed out there somewhere - he wanted to be right in the thick of things, and the southern side of Azkaban is the weakest."  
  
"Typical," Remus murmured. Sirius, however, was still livid.  
  
"You shouldn't be here at all! I'm going to go with you now and personally escort you back to Moody's place, and lock you in the linen closet!"  
  
"No, you're not," Calypso replied, calmly pouring Sirius a cup of coffee. "You can't leave your post, and I'm fulfilling an essential service. Dot's run off her feet - she can't brew potions and deliver treats to people at the same time. Whatsmore, to stop the Death Eaters retreating and getting away, there are strong wards again Apparating, Flooing or Portkeying out of here."  
  
Sirius ground his teeth. "You'd better keep out of trouble."  
  
"When the attack starts, just get to some shelter. Go help the Healers, if you can get to them." Remus' advice was more constructive, but he was also concerned.  
  
"Don't you two worry about me. Just watch yourselves." Calypso replied, with a wry smile. She squeezed Remus' hand before leaving. Her heart was heavy as she walked off, and didn't notice the pumpkin juice splashing all over the tray.  
  
Calypso was pouring drinks to a chatty pair of Aurors on the south-east rampants when she thought she saw something out of the edge of her eye. Andy, whom she was pouring a large mug of pumpkin juice to, saw her puzzled expression. "Do you see something?" He asked, and quickly looked out over the edge of the fortress.  
  
It was a cloudless night, and the stars and the pale crescent moon gave enough light to reflect off the waves at sea, and picked out the tops of the dense pine trees at the edge of the cliffs. The trees were swaying in the wind, and Calypso frowned. "No... I think it was just the trees moving."  
  
The other Auror, Hydy, was also peering at the pine trees. "I thought I saw something before, too, but I assumed it was my imagination." They all squinted at the forest and cliffs in silence for a second, and Calypso was about to turn away when Hydy gave a gasp. "Look! The flashes between the trees!"  
  
Heart pounding, Calypso focused where Hydy was pointing. Suddenly she saw it - flashes all throughout the forest, left and right. Instead of being flashes of light, they were flashes of dark - ink blackness instead of deep midnight navy, the difference only just visible to the eye.  
  
"Jupiter!" Andy swore. "They are using tunnels from the Underworld to get onto the Island! How many have arrived without us knowing?" Dragging from his pocket a small red object, he flicked a trigger on the top, and a tiny flame leapt up. "Dark flashes in the trees! They're here!" he hissed into the flame.  
  
Hydy and Andy shifted into better positions, while Calypso hurriedly grabbed her tray and started backing down the stone stairs, intent on following Remus' instructions to go help the healers. Keeping low, she was scurrying along a long walkway when commotion broke out.  
  
With a resounding thud, illumination spells leapt into life, casting a dazzling light on the land surrounding the fortress, and the air above it. There was a crackling noise, and green sparks leapt up the side of the blue- grey stone walls - a shielding charm. Aurors rushed from the courtyard up onto the rampants, and Calypso felt very much in the way. Hands shaking, and with ragged breathing, she assessed her situation. Aurors were moving to line the rampants, so she couldn't take the most direct routes back to the courtyard. However, if she went up to the next level, along the swingbridge to the west tower, down the stairs there and along the west wall, she could avoid tripping over the aurors feet, and she'd go past Remus and Sirius, and Ron and Harry. She could assure Sirius and Remus that she was going to a safer spot, and check up on Harry and Ron, and persuade them not to do anything too reckless. She started walking, just as the first curses were being cast.  
  
"SHIT!" Octavia exclaimed as the grounds surrounding Azkaban were suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. She could see the glittering protection spells running around the fortress walls, searchlights running about the sky and hundreds of figures running about the stone rampants. She leapt back into the shadows underneath the pine trees, just as a spotlight swept the area, making her shield her eyes.  
  
"Octavia?" Someone called out, concerned. "Merlin's balls, what now?"  
  
Octavia growled, and her eyes flashed angrily as she surveyed Azkaban. Although she had been caught off balance by the obvious Auror presence at the Fortress, she had instantly regained her composure, and was rapidly re- thinking her plans.  
  
"Martin! Rochester! Novotny! Get us some protection! North, east and west – at least fifty paces. Now Martin, damnit, now, or I'll send you out as a decoy for our attack!" Martin got moving, and melted back into the trees towards the cliffs to set up the Emerald Spellshield to the south.  
  
A blue curse streaked past and hit a tree, setting the bark on fire with a sizzle. "Pilepich, get behind that bloody tree!" Cain barked. "Everyone, stay hidden until the Spellshield is up." As he said that, a faint green line ran around the ground at the edge of the tree line, making the pine needles glow radioactively. From the baseline, fingers of light shot up into the navy night sky.  
  
Octavia smiled, and strolled from her tree. A curse beamed towards her, but a green finger of light quickly bent to obliterate the spell, which exploded into a starry shower. Octavia stretched lazily, and looked around the dark-cloaked Death Eaters in the forest. "Not to worry, everyone. So the Aurors are here already – this won't change our plans very much. Everything goes as we have planned and practiced. Just remember that we're about another two hundred paces away than planned, so just adjust your trajectory. They expected our arrival – but they won't be expecting what we'll be throwing at them!" 


End file.
